KH: Wings to Ashes
by brawlingwolf
Summary: Xehanort and Eraqus have been fighting a war for years, trading places between hunter and prey. In the aftermath of the clash against the elderly master and his apprentice, Terra, Ventus and Aqua are driven apart to different sides of the war. But Xehanort still lurks in the darkness, ready to plunge the worlds into eternal night where his kind can roam free. AU, VenAqua, SoKaiRiku
1. Chapter I: The Apprentice

_**Chapter I**_

The still surface of the puddle on the stone street shattered as a boy's boot stepped into it. He sighed in content as he meandered through the cool, fresh night air, gazing up at the moon as the rainclouds cleared away. He brushed his black bangs out of his eyes before shoving his hands in his pockets loosely. Nights like these often brought out the softer side of this boy, when he lost his cares of his practice and the strange people around him.

About three months previous, one of the few people he'd considered friends had packed his bags lightly and left to pursue further training in two areas. One, this black-haired boy understood, but the other baffled him.

"Damned Keyblade," he mumbled as he turned down a side street. He sighed again, more in defeat than serenity, and slowed his pace to a near drag.

He stopped as he heard footsteps and he bolted upright, scanning the area around him. After finding nothing out of place, he continued walking. But moments later, the footsteps sounded again. He turned his head, his eyes wide and alert.

"Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself!" He waited in silence, barely breathing, for a few moments before relaxing a bit. "I'm nuts," he told himself and continued walking. But again, the footsteps sounded, and he was sure of it this time. "Okay, look. I'm warning you: show yourself, now!"

"Or what?" a raspy voice replied. "What could you possibly do, boy?" He stepped back as an elderly, hunched-over man stepped into the edge of his vision. He squinted his eyes, straining to make out any distinguishable features of the newcomer.

"Look, old man, I don't want to hurt you. What do you want?" To his annoyance, the man just let out a very throaty, gargled laugh.

"I doubt you could hurt me very easily, Vanitas," he replied. Vanitas's eyes widened and his muscles tensed.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I've been observing you for some time," the man continued. "You are permitted to refer to me as Master Xehanort. Now then, if you're threatened by me, why don't you take out that Keyblade of yours?" Vanitas grit his teeth.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he spat.

"Regardless," Xehanort strode closer, and Vanitas's eyes widened as his eyes met his visitor's eerie, foreboding golden gaze. "It doesn't matter if you lie to me. You're just the type of boy I need: strong, quick-witted, and open to the darkness. You'll make a fine apprentice."

"And if I refuse?" Vanitas retorted. Xehanort gargled his laugh once again.

"Are you willing to take the chance?" he replied. "I'm afraid the choice is out of your hands. Should you not willingly join me, I'll simply have to use other means."

"Try me, old man. There's no way I'm doing anything with you."

"What a shame." Xehanort shook his head. "Then you leave me no choice." To Vanitas's shock, the old man set a speedy pace toward him. He took off running with his assailant hot on his trail.

"It doesn't matter how long you run, boy!" Xehanort taunted. "In the end, you'll be mine!" Vanitas ignored him and continued running, but found that his energy was quickly draining. As he got caught in an alley, he slowed down considerably, gasping for breath.

"Do you not see?" Xehanort startled him and he turned around, trying to stay on his feet.

"What do you want from me?" Vanitas questioned. "Who are you? What are you?"

"Listen to me, boy," Xehanort raised his hand for a moment. "Those who know nothing can understand nothing. But I can teach you, show you a side of the worlds you never could dream of. I can give you power." He grinned, and Vanitas's eyes widened as his teeth were revealed. He stepped back. "So, you're still going to resist?" Xehanort shook his head. "Very well. I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this." He started toward the boy, who swallowed and summoned a Keyblade he had come to know as the Void Gear.

"Stay back!" He barked.

"So, the Keyblade reveals itself," Xehanort chuckled. "But you lack the knowledge and the power to properly wield it. You are no threat to me as you are now." He shut his eyes and inhaled. "Ah, what a mesmerizing sound. Can you not feel your heartbeat? You are exhausted, frightened, and concerned for your safety." He opened his eyes. "As you should be." With that, he summoned a ball of dark energy and Vanitas's eyes widened. Xehanort shot the ball toward the boy, who took a direct hit and fell to the ground, stunned. Within moments, Xehanort was at his side and pulled him up quickly by his jacket's collar, throwing him off balance.

"Starting today, consider yourself my apprentice, Vanitas." Vanitas's eyes widened and his heart thudded in his chest.

"G-get away from me!" he demanded, but the grip on his collar didn't loosen.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, boy." With that, Vanitas let out a shout as a sharp pain pierced his neck. Before he could process what was happening, he fell to the stone street as he struggled to hang onto his consciousness.

"Don't worry, my boy," Xehanort told him. "I will be waiting when you regain yourself." The last thing he found himself aware of was Xehanort's throaty laugh echoing in his ears.


	2. Chapter II: Days of Training

Ventus let out an enormous yawn as he sat up, looking out the window above his bed absentmindedly. The sun had risen quite high overhead, and he sighed as he pulled himself to his feet. As of the night before, he and his fellow apprentices had been tasked with patrolling the Radiant Garden after word of rather unnatural activity had been sweeping through the denizens. Being up all night had taken its toll on him, and he trudged out into the hallway toward the yard outside the castle that made up the primary location of the Land of Departure.

"Morning, Ven," a voice sounded behind him.

"Mrph," Ven replied and turned around. "Hi, Terra. Sleep well?"

"Sure," Terra stretched. "Just not long enough. Could last night have been any more boring?"

"Probably not," Ven agreed as they continued walking. "I didn't find anything even remotely suggesting they were there. You?"

"Just the worried housewives," Terra chuckled. "It could just be a rumor." He sighed. "But, of course, it's our job to find the truth in those rumors and save lives." Ven nodded as they emerged into the audience chamber where they often held their training. Once there, they found their fellow apprentice, Aqua, and their master, Eraqus, talking near one of the thrones.

"Good morning Terra, Ventus," Eraqus greeted. The two addressed boys stood up straight, their arms at their sides.

"Good morning, Master," Ven replied. Terra nodded. Eraqus smiled and turned back to Aqua.

"Now then: You were saying?" he prompted.

"It was definitely one of them," she began. "When I spoke to an elderly woman, she said that her daughter and son-in-law were taking a walk several evenings ago and her granddaughter had stayed with her. When they hadn't returned the next morning, she went out to look for them and found several of the guards clustered around their bodies. Both were completely drained, and they had the bites to prove it." Eraqus sighed heavily and nodded.

"No one demon could fully drain two adults like that," he thought aloud and motioned for Terra and Ven to join them. "Well, you two? What do you think it means?"

"There's two of them. That's the only real explanation," Terra replied. Eraqus nodded again.

"Correct, Terra." He turned to Aqua. "From what we've observed in the past, there was only proof that there was one in Radiant Garden's main city. We've managed to eliminate any others that we could track down, and I'm very proud of all three of you for that."

"Thank you, Master," the three apprentices replied within moments of each other.

"But, going back to the couple. It's been a long time since I've seen the targets together like that. Hrm…" he crossed his arms. "Do any of you see what I see from this?" Terra, Aqua, and Ven exchanged a glance.

"Um…" Ven spoke up. "It probably means that there were two of them, and…" he paused. "They were likely working together. I think."

"Exactly, Ventus." Eraqus nodded. "I firmly believe that this attack was not by coincidence. It's quite likely that we're dealing with a pair now."

"But, it's been such a long time since we've seen evidence of a pair," Aqua noted. "And any that we had, we'd gotten rid of."

"So, in other words, it seems pretty likely that one that we hadn't been able to catch has turned someone else," Terra concluded, clenching his fingers into a tight fist.

"Precisely," Eraqus agreed. "Very good, all of you. You've learned well."

"We've had the honor of an excellent teacher," Aqua replied, and her friends nodded in agreement.

"Regardless, this threat is quite real," Eraqus continued. "I know you had a late night last night, but I want the three of you to return to Radiant Garden tonight. Stay together and see what more you can find out. It's possible they became aware of your presence and stayed hidden, but that tactic won't work for long. Judging by what we've seen in the casualty count, these two don't feed just to survive. I have a feeling they hunt quite often."

"So, sooner or later, they're going to have to come out," Ventus summarized.

"Quite," the Master confirmed. "And when they do…"

"We'll be ready for them," Terra said stalwartly. "We can't let them haunt Radiant Garden or any other world."

"It concerns me," Eraqus sighed. "I was certain we'd exterminated all of them from that world, and any that survived would know to stay away from the main city. Yet these two either do not know of us or simply do not care. Proceed with caution, all of you. Do not hesitate to resort to your Keyblades if the need arises."

"Yes, sir!" The three replied quickly.

"Very well. You are all dismissed. Go prepare as you see fit, whether it be training, discussing, or sleeping. I will speak with you just before sunset before you go." They nodded. "All right. Go on, then." The apprentices left the audience chamber and emerged into the bright sunlight of the Land of Departure, and Ventus stretched.

"Well, what are you gonna do?" asked his friends.

"I'm gonna go make sure I've got all my stuff in order," Terra replied. "If we do find 'em tonight, I bet it'll get messy." Aqua nodded.

"I hope it's just two. At least that way, we'll have the advantage of numbers."

"Not to mention our gliders," Ven grinned. "We can outrun them if we need to, right?"

"Right," Terra confirmed. "But still- if they're hunting in Radiant Garden, that means they either don't know about us or simply don't care. They may be looking for a fight for all we know."

"They'll want us dead," Aqua agreed. "Plain and simple. We'll have to be careful." She paused in thought. "Do either of you want to spar?"

"Sure," Ventus volunteered and summoned his Keyblade. "Practice makes perfect."

"I'll join you later," Terra told them as he turned back toward the castle. "I'm gonna go rest up and get my things. Make sure you don't wear yourselves out!" With that, he headed off, and Aqua summoned her Keyblade.

"Ready?" She smiled with a challenging glint in her eyes. Ven set his stance and nodded, and she rushed forward with her Keyblade at the ready. He blocked the attack and countered before jumping back and throwing the Wayward Wind at her. It hit home and she stumbled back as it returned to him, but she recovered quickly. Not to be outdone, she sent a blast of fire magic at him that he barely managed to evade.

"Not bad," he remarked as he ran forward again and struck with a flurry of quick attacks. She cartwheeled back and knocked him in the side with her Keyblade before he could defend himself. "Oof," he grunted and stumbled back, shaking the blow off.

And so it continued for quite some time before they broke apart, panting and sweaty. Ven grinned as he hunched over, bracing himself against his knees, and Aqua returned the smile as she sat down to rest.

"That was productive," she noted. "You're improving, Ven."

"We've got a great teacher," he reminded her, and she nodded. "I wish I had your talent with magic. I mean, I can do a few basic spells, but I'm nowhere near your level."

"You'll get there," she assured him. "Just keep at it."

"Thanks, Aqua."

Once the sun began to set, the three apprentices returned to the audience chamber after Aqua played witness to a quick match between the boys. Terra had emerged the victor, but Ventus hadn't made it easy for him. Their chatter fell silent as they found Eraqus waiting in front of the thrones.

"I watched your spars," he informed them, and his tone was light. "I'm very proud of all three of you. You all learn so quickly. It has been an honor and a pleasure to be your master."

"It's been the same for us to have you as our master, sir," Aqua dipped her head. "Thank you." Both Ventus and Terra nodded in agreement.

"I'm certain you will handle tonight's operation with ease," Eraqus continued. "Though I wish you didn't have to, I hope you find something. The sooner we take care of this threat, the safer the people will feel. Are you all prepared to embark?"

"Yes, sir!" They replied within moments of each other.

"Excellent," Eraqus nodded. "Keep each other safe, understand? If I had to choose between pursuing them and having you all back safely, I'd let them escape without a second thought. Be cautious and alert."

"We will," Terra promised.

"Then you are dismissed. I want you all back here as soon as either your mission is complete or the sun has risen- whichever comes first."

"Yes, sir!" They replied once more before Terra led the way back outside. He opened a path through the Lanes Between as Ventus and Aqua equipped their armor, and all three summoned their gliders before heading away from their home.


	3. Chapter III: Nights of Hunting

Eraqus's apprentices arrived in Radiant Garden just as the last rays of the sun were disappearing, and it was evident in the sudden drop of activity that the world's denizens were taking no chances. Ventus knew that the guards were doing their best to keep rumors of unnatural beings in the area to a minimum, but it seemed many were quicker to believe an old wives' tale before security. The last stragglers emptied form the streets quickly, and the few that still remained looked panicked and fearful.

"You kids should get inside!" A woman called to them from her window. "It's not safe to be out at night! Go home and lock the doors."

"We'll be fine, ma'am," Terra replied and waved. "We're prepared to handle anything that comes our way." The woman didn't look convinced, but she gave up and shut her window tightly. It wasn't long until they were completely alone and night had fallen over the town.

"So…" Ven rested his arms behind his head. "What's the plan? Should we just start at one end and work our way to the other, or do you guys want to split up?"

"Hm…" Terra crossed his arms in thought. "I think we should split up- not all over town, but covering several routes. That'll minimize them slipping away from us. Aqua? Thoughts?"

"That makes sense," she agreed. "But no one go too far. Stay within ear shot and yell if you find one."

"I'll take my glider and do a quick scan over the area," Terra volunteered. "If you two want to look on foot."

"That works," Ven nodded.

"All right." Terra summoned his glider again and mounted it. "Be careful, both of you."  
>"You too," Aqua cautioned, and he nodded before taking to the air and flying off. Ven looked around, trying to remember the mental map he had tried to make of the town.<p>

"Tell you what," Aqua continued. "I'll head off that way," she pointed toward a sewer way, "If you want to take that alley. There should be a central pipe area where we can meet up."

"Works for me," Ven agreed. "Okay. See you soon." With that, they parted ways and Ventus pulled the collar of his coat up as he started down the path between the houses and shops that made up the main area of Radiant Garden. He jammed his hands in his pockets and glanced around slightly, keeping his ears strained for any sign of movement. He blinked as his eyes adjusted from the well-lit central square to the pale light of the moon and stars above.

_Shf._

He stopped and his attention zeroed in on that one little sound, though he couldn't be totally sure where it had come from. It had sounded like footsteps, but they had stopped as soon as he had. He tried to ignore his escalating heartbeat and continued on slowly, his senses on heightened alert for anything that could possibly tell him where they were hiding. He looked up to find Terra flying over, but made no move to acknowledge his friend.

Ven turned down an alley and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself- his heart rate was making it difficult to concentrate. But the soft sound of footsteps didn't help, and he fought off the urge to turn around quickly and call out to whoever could be there. But as he continued and slowed his pace, the sound got louder. He stopped and turned around, and indeed, he found a figure standing a short distance away from him.

"Hi," the figure greeted. Though Ven's eyes couldn't make out any distinguishing details about him, he could tell this newcomer was dressed in a long coat similar to his and had rather spiky hair. Ven blinked.

"Hi," he replied. "Can I help you?"

"I dunno, can you?" the figure replied. "What are you doing out so late?"

"I was meeting someone," Ven thought up quickly. "I was on my way there."

"Got a date or something?" the figure laughed. "Aw well. Hate to keep 'em waiting, but… Well," he shrugged as he drew closer. "Gotta do what you gotta do, I guess." He finally came close enough for Ven to make out some of his defining features. His hair was black and bangs framed his face, and his eyes were a deep golden color. His skin was abnormally pale, and a metal brace lined his jaw.

Yet, Ventus was taken back to a time nearly a year ago when he had packed his things to go train under Eraqus, his misfit friend that had seen him off after trying time and time again to convince him to stay behind.

"Vanitas?" He inquired, and the boy's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Wait a minute…" Vanitas blinked. "Ventus? Is that you?" Ven nodded slowly. "Wow. Never expected to run into you here."

"Me either," Ven agreed and felt his coiled muscles relax. "What are you doing here?" Vanitas chuckled and smiled, and Ven's panic returned as he noticed his former friend's elongated canines.

"Hunting," Vanitas replied simply. "Turns out you were right- they- we- do exist."

"But…" Ven backed up a pace in alarm. "What happened to you? And why are your eyes-"

"Darkness," Vanitas grinned. "I actually like my new life- to some extent. That old codger that calls himself my master is a pain in the butt- take this brace for example." He pulled it off and stretched his jaw. "I don't really think I need it, but he won't let me go out on my own without it. Aw well."

"You… like being… like this?" Ventus realized in disbelief. Vanitas nodded.

"The speed, the strength, the power… Not to mention immortality," he pointed out. "Humans are prey. That's all it comes down to. And speaking of which," he stretched his arms back. "Sorry about this, Ventus, but your heartbeat is driving me crazy and I'm thirsty."

"Vanitas…" Ven backed up again. "Please, don't. I don't want to hurt you." Unfortunately, Vanitas simply started laughing.

"_You _hurt _me_?" he continued laughing, and Ven felt anger boil under his fear, but Vanitas's gaze over him made him feel like a mouse cornered by a hungry cat. "You always has a sense of humor. But," his laughter died down, though his smile remained. "Regardless. This has really worked up my appetite. Tell me, Ventus, will you run and let me have the thrill of the hunt? Or will you come quietly?" Ven grit his teeth and both summoned his Keyblade and threw it forward at the same time, catching Vanitas off guard. With his distraction, Ven took off running as his Keyblade returned to him, but his assailant caught up to him quickly.

"You're only going to wear yourself out, Ventus!" he called, though Ven didn't slow down. "Do you feel your heart rate escalating? Do you feel the adrenaline in your body? I can smell it on you!" Ven grit his teeth and pushed on through his oncoming exhaustion. "Well, this gets your blood running, so it's less work for me," Vanitas went on, though Ven did his best to ignore him. Unfortunately, he quickly came to a dead end and summoned his Keyblade again with his heart pounding.

"Don't come any closer," he warned, attempting to catch his breath. Vanitas smirked and raised his arm, summoning a Keyblade of his own as he readied his battle stance.

"Did you forget I've got one too?" he mocked.

"I didn't know you'd been using it," Ven gasped. Vanitas shook his head.

"I didn't. Not until Old Man Xehanort came and taught me how to use it and the darkness. I don't use it much, but you can damn well bet I can put up a fight. And," he pointed it at Ven, "You should know well how dangerous they can be. What are you gonna do if I steal your heart?"

"Only Masters are capable of doing such a feat," Ven reminded him.

"But combine a Keyblade with the Darkness…" Vanitas left the threat hanging.

"You'll do no such thing!" a voice came as a blast of Fire magic struck Vanitas from behind. He grit his teeth as he turned to find Aqua with her Keyblade at the ready.

"And who the hell are you?" he inquired curtly. "Another of Eraqus's pets?"

"Don't you dare speak of our master that way," she replied sternly.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Terra agreed as he descended and turned his glider back to his Keyblade. "We're nothing compared to him. You _really _don't want to make him mad."

"You're surrounded, Vanitas," Ven informed him, and the black-haired boy glanced around as his smile faded.

"So I am," he agreed. "Not bad. Too bad it takes three of you to beat one of me, huh?" His gaze fell on Aqua, and his smirk returned. "Guess I'll leave you alive for now, Ventus. It was nice seeing you again." Before any of Eraqus's three apprentices could stop him, he disappeared within a Dark Corridor.

The immediate danger having passed, Ventus sat down immediately and let out a long sigh of relief as exhaustion crashed down over him. Aqua was at his side quickly as Terra walked to the end of the alley to keep watch.

"I'm fine," he insisted as she fussed over him. "Just… tired."

"What happened?" She wondered. "Who was that?"

"Vanitas," he replied. "He was an old friend of mine before I left to study under the master. But…" his mouth snapped shut and he stood up quickly.

"What is it?" she wondered.  
>"Xehanort!" he realized. "He said Xehanort taught him to better wield his Keyblade and use the darkness."<p>

"Then I'd bet a year's supply of Elixirs that Xehanort turned him," Terra remarked as he came back over to his friends. "We've caused them enough trouble tonight, and I bet Vanitas, or whatever his name is, will be getting quite an earful when he gets back to wherever they're hiding. We need to tell the master about this."

"I'm sorry, guys," Ven lowered his head. "I didn't realize he was one of them until he attacked me. He's always been kind of pale, and his eyes…"

"Ven, I imagine you didn't expect someone you knew to be one of them," Aqua pointed out. "It's okay. I'm just sorry you have to deal with this."

"He attacked me with no hesitation whatsoever," Ven continued. "Like nothing before this mattered. All I was to him was something to hunt."

"Darkness does strange things to people," Terra reminded him. "Not to mention the state his soul is in. I don't think he had much of a conscience holding him back." Ven nodded.

"I guess," he sighed. "Let's get back home."


	4. Chapter IV: Doing Things My Way

"That was reckless of you," Xehanort scolded. Vanitas leaned his head back and rolled his eyes as he lounged on a couch they had brought into their "hideout." "Eraqus's dogs are strong and well trained- Especially Terra. Aqua is a gifted mage, and I'm sure you know of Ventus's speed. They won't rest until they find you."

"Great," Vanitas replied. "Let 'em run themselves ragged, then we'll kill 'em."

"It's not that simple," Xehanort snapped. "We'll have to plan our next moves carefully. Hunting has just become much more difficult."

"So what?" Vanitas shrugged. "They already know about us. They can just watch as we get our fill. What are they gonna do?"

"They are powerful," Xehanort reminded him. "They can chase us off, we'll become weak, and they may get the chance to finish us off."

"So, let's go to a different world for a while," Vanitas suggested. "Why can't we do that?"

"Hrm…" Xehanort didn't seem to have an answer before he smiled. "Because that will give off the notion that we are accepting defeat. And we simply will not."

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Vanitas grinned.

"But it will come to push and shove for some time," Xehanort continued. "We will need to be careful. We will likely have to change our schedule, change our targets…"

"Oh, come on!" Vanitas groaned and got to his feet. "I never asked for this, old man. The only reason I'm still here is because you were actually teaching me something useful. I didn't ask for this life. What makes you think you can order me around?"

"Don't be a fool, Vanitas," Xehanort scolded. "You could never survive without me."

"Can't survive with you, can't survive without you, huh?" Vanitas retorted. "Fine. I'll meet you half way. Give me some space and let me head out on my own every now and again, even if it isn't for hunting." Xehanort stared at him.

"What makes you think that's safe?" He inquired curtly.

"If I'm careful, they won't know the difference. If people actually see me walking around, then they won't be as suspicious about my popping up out of nowhere." Xehanort stared at him.

"Perhaps, that would be true, but you don't know how to be careful!"

"You never give me a chance," Vanitas argued as he opened a Dark Corridor.

"Where do you think you're going, young man?!" Xehanort demanded.

"Jeez, you sound like my mom," Vanitas shook his head. "I'm going out. I'm not waiting around- I'm doing something about Eraqus's apprentices."

"Don't expect me to come save you," Xehanort hissed as Vanitas left and sighed heavily once the Corridor closed. "Troublesome boy… You must realize the stupidity of your hotheaded ideas. You're unstable…"

Vanitas stepped out of the Dark Corridor and smirked as he glanced around the Land of Departure. Dawn appeared to still be several hours off, and there were no stirring signs of life.

"Perfect," he scoffed, and he hurried over to the castle he assumed was the home of Eraqus and his apprentices. He slipped through an open window and silently made his way through the halls, stopping every now and again to drink in the scents in the air. After passing through the audience chamber, he headed down another hallway until he heard the sound of a door opening.

_Oop. _He scrambled to hide around a corner as a half-conscious Terra passed, practically asleep as he walked by. Vanitas watched carefully as the brown-haired Keyblade wielder entered another room and shut the door behind him. The golden-eyed youth continued on carefully, his senses on heightened alert for any sound of approaching footsteps. He turned down another hall and finally caught a strong whiff of the scent he was looking for and followed it to another door. Without hesitation, he opened it slowly and went inside, then ducked down as he shut it and Aqua's sleeping form stirred gently.

She did not awaken, but only shifted from her back to her side and remained deep within the realm of dreams. Vanitas straightened back up and found himself watching her, completely mesmerized by her soft breathing, her gentle heartbeat, the peace in her expression, her beauty, and what he knew was her strong spirit.

What was this? This emotion overcoming him, the reason he came… She may have been a hunter, but he didn't care. He wanted her for himself. And he knew exactly what the first step was going to be. He smiled darkly and briefly drew his tongue over one of his canines as he approached her without a sound. He brushed a lock of her blue hair off of her neck and took a deep breath, relishing her scent and listening to her heart. He shook himself out of it, however, in an attempt to suppress his primal urge to feed.

He bent down slowly and curled back his upper lip, and his fangs broke through the soft skin of her neck until he could taste her hot blood on his tongue. Almost at once, she woke, and he cupped his hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. He pulled back and his gaze met hers, and he could see alarm, panic, and anger in her eyes.

"Hello, Aqua," he breathed. She covered her wound with one hand, shock quickly taking over her expression.

"W-What have you done?!" she demanded.

"Amazingly, something other than killing you," he replied simply. "Don't worry. It'll all be clear in a few hours." He could tell from her expression that it suddenly became clear right then.

"N-no…" she choked, and he noticed that she was fighting to stay conscious.

"Yes," he shrugged. "And, unfortunately for your little friends, there's no way to stop it. Come find me when you wake up, will you?" She didn't get a chance to answer before she passed out entirely, falling back on her bed as her bloodied hand came to rest at her side. He turned and shut the curtains of her window, blocking any light that may greet her when she woke, and then proceeded to open a Dark Corridor and head back to his and Xehanort's hideout.

"Where in the worlds have you been?!" Xehanort demanded as soon as he exited the Corridor. "You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed. You're a fool if you think you can simply walk away from me whenever you feel like it. Are you even listening to me?"

"Not really," Vanitas replied as he plopped himself down on the couch. "One: You're overreacting. Two: You're lucky I even came back."

"I'd hardly call keeping tabs on my apprentice 'overreacting,'" Xehnaort scoffed.

"I'd hardly call myself your apprentice," Vanitas retorted. "So quit lecturing me before I take my Keyblade to your head." Xehanort snorted.

"I could destroy you before you even had a chance to summon it."

"Whatever," Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Not like it matters now anyway. I'll be outta here before you know it."

"And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Have you ever heard the saying, something along the lines of 'A house divided cannot stand?'" Xehanort nodded, obviously in no mood for games or riddles. "Tell me, how long did it take you to figure that out? Turn Eraqus's apprentices against each other and they'll be helpless."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Xehanort inquired. Vanitas smirked and showed the old man his hand, still carrying traces of Aqua's blood.

"You turn one of 'em onto our side," he replied simply. Xehanort stared at him blankly.

"You went to the Land of Departure and turned one of them?!"

"Yep," Vanitas shrugged. "And, believe it or not, it was easy. Now, if what I've heard is true, then it's only a matter of time before she's mine." Xehanort didn't immediately respond, but only watched the boy.

"Yes…" he nodded. "You've done your research, have you? Very good." He smiled. "If you make the push, then she won't be able to resist you."

"That's the plan," Vanitas smirked. "Now, I get the feeling the sun'll be coming up soon. I'm gonna go get some sleep."

"Very well," Xehanort agreed. Vanitas waved and headed back further into their hideout. He may not have slept in a coffin- the idea just seemed silly to him, but he did have a cushioned spot encased by sheets and covers to keep any stray light from streaming in. He made his way inside and pulled off his coat, then immediately laid down with a plop. With a satisfied smirk on his face, he rested his arms behind his head and quickly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter V: Lost

"Nngh…" Aqua groaned as she shifted and opened her eyes, blinking several times. Her body hurt all over, her muscles were stiff, and her head was foggy. "Am I coming down with something?" she wondered. After all, she, Terra, and Ventus had been out late for the past several nights, and she knew she had a lot of catching up to do when it came to sleep. Perhaps, in all the activity, she'd caught a virus? Could that explain the burning she felt in her throat that radiated to the rest of her body?

But when she inadvertently placed her hand against her forehead, she felt something cool, even cold. Panic began to well up within her as she racked her brain for answers, but the one possibility, however unlikely it was, that she found was one she didn't want to admit. She scrambled out of her bed and stumbled over to the window, and it confused her. She never drew the curtains closed, so why were they now? But when she pulled one back, even slightly, she was greeted by sunlight, and her skin immediately felt as if it had been set on fire. She stifled a screech of pain and fell back as the curtain came to close once again, and she gripped her hand tightly.

"No…" she mumbled, and something in her head seemed to keep pushing back a thought, a memory, that she didn't want to recall. She swallowed, though it brought her throat no relief, and inched over to her desk. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a mirror, hesitating before she finally looked into it.

But nothing looked back.

She could see the reflection of the room around her, but, according to the mirror, she wasn't there. She dropped it in a panic and it cracked once it hit the floor.

"It can't be…" she choked, praying she was only having a nightmare. But the pain the sun had brought her was all too real. Her hand crept up to her neck and her fingers traced around it until they came to two small puncture marks, confirming the fears she didn't want to believe. She brought her fingers up to her teeth and hesitantly brought her thumb and forefinger down along her elongated canines.

_No…_

That brief moment when she had found herself face to face with that boy, that demon that Ventus had identified as Vanitas, surfaced in her mind.

_"Come find me when you wake up, will you?"_ he'd requested, and she grit her teeth as her fists clenched.

"Oh, I'll find you," she growled. "Find you and personally tear you apart." But that would have to come later, as she had more pressing matters to deal with. Much as she didn't want to admit it, that golden-eyed boy had turned her into the very creature Eraqus had been teaching them to destroy. There was no way she could face Ventus and Terra now, whether they went ahead with their training or not. Admitting defeat was something she couldn't bring herself to do.

"I'm sorry, Master," she mumbled as she sat down on the floor and curled her legs against her chest. She didn't have a change to process her thoughts, though, as she heard a voice approaching her room, and she dove under her bed.

"Aqua?" A soft knock came at the door, and she recognized Terra's voice. "You awake?" She stayed silent, praying that he wouldn't come in. To her dismay, the door opened and he peaked inside, glancing around. "Aqua?" he repeated, and huffed when he didn't see her. "Where is she?" A soft sound reached her ears, a gentle, beating rhythm, and she found herself grappling with a predatory instinct that surfaced within her as the pain in her throat burned brighter and resonated through her limbs.

"Huh?" Terra, to Aqua's dismay, took several steps into the room, and she found herself thinking of how she could get to him. She could shut and block the door, trapping him, and he'd have nowhere to run within that small room. Regardless of what she was, she knew she had the greater agility between them, though he had strength. But if she could get one clean bite, it wouldn't matter…

She shook her head, commanding herself to stop thinking such horrid thoughts. Terra was one of her closest friends and companions. No matter what her body now needed, she wouldn't attack him.

Would she?

"Hrm," Terra grumbled as he bent down and picked up the mirror she'd dropped. "What's this doing- OW." Aqua froze. "Damned glass. How'd this get broken anyway?" He placed it on her desk as a new scent reached his cowering friend, and her instinct shot through her once she got one whiff of it.

_Blood._

She squeezed her eyes shut as she grappled between conscience and instinct, willing him to leave before she lost control.

"Maybe she's out training or something," he sighed and left, closing the door behind him and leaving her trembling violently as she fought with herself.

"I have to get out of here," she breathed and quickly changed her clothes, wrapping a scarf around her neck and pulling on a long coat. She activated her armor with the hope that it would protect her from the sunlight and grimly pulled back the curtains again. The sunlight was blindingly bright and made her incredibly uncomfortable, but it was tolerable compared to her encounter with it before. She opened the window and leapt out of it, summoning her Keyblade and opening a path to the Lanes Between before using it to call her glider.

By the time she realized where she was going, Aqua had already arrived in a world she didn't recognize. Once she reached it, night had fallen and she dismissed her armor as she looked around. It was a simple town from the look of it, brightly lit by various neon signs pointing out this shop and that point of interest. After inspecting it, she realized it matched a description Terra had given her when he'd gone off on a solo mission to a world called Traverse Town.

Unfortunately, Traverse Town was populated, and as soon as she turned a corner, she found herself staring at a decent group of people going to and fro, some stopping to chat while others hurried off. They didn't seem to fear the night, but why should they? The area was more than well lit and there were plenty of buildings one could retreat into if needed.

Suddenly assaulted by numerous counts of similar rhythms she had heard when Terra had come into her room before, her head grew dizzy and the burning in her throat started on its way to becoming a raging fire. She stumbled to a door claiming to lead to the Second District of the world and pushed it open, and she came to an area much less densely populated. She breathed a sigh of relief and backed up to a wall before she slid down to sit against it with her head in her hands.

"I've got to do something about this," she mumbled. She had never felt so helpless, so weak, but the urges her body now felt threatened to throw her into insanity.

"Excuse me," a call sounded, and she froze before looking up to find a young man coming toward her. "Miss? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied meekly, but he didn't appear to believe her.

"You look hurt," he informed her. "Do you need help? I'm sure we could find you a place to rest at the hotel or something."

"I'm fine!" she insisted as she picked up his scent, the sound of his heart. "P-Please, don't come any closer." But he didn't listen to her.

"Are you sick?" he wondered. "Are you feeling okay?" She wasn't even going to try to lie.

"No," she mumbled as he reached her, and he knelt down to her level.

"Then let's get you some help!" he offered, and her muscles clenched.

"G-Get away," she demanded through grit teeth.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "Really. I want to help you." She couldn't argue- not when it was becoming such a fight just to remain where she was. "Here, we'll start with the basics. What's your name?"

"A-Aqua…" she replied.

"That's a nice name," he smiled. "Okay, Aqua. Let's get you some help." He stood up and held out his hand to her. "What do you need?"

"I… I'm hungry… thirsty," she told him, her voice shaky.

"Then we'll find you some food," he offered. "Can't survive on a diet of Potions, right?"

"No," she agreed. "I… I'm sorry."

"For what?" he wondered as she took his hand and pulled him down, grabbing his other arm with her free hand. The slightest shocked cry escaped his throat as she sunk her fangs into his neck, and it wasn't long before a hot, rustic, and salty taste hit her tongue.

And Aqua was gone. She held onto him greedily, restraining him long after he'd lost the energy to fight back, ravenously draining him of every drop of blood his body had within. Once she had finished, he fell to the pavement below, limp, unmoving, and lifeless. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and found a stray bit of blood there, but she left it alone as her conscious thought returned to her.

"O-Oh no…" she choked on the words as guilt, regret, remorse crashed down on her, burying her in a pit of despair. An innocent man lay dead at her feet, and she had no one to blame but herself. She panicked and sprinted off, leaving him for some poor passer by to discover, and hid in an alley nearby. She sunk down to the ground and trembled. And, though no true tears came, she cried. For some unknown, drawn out length of time, she sat in that alley and grieved over what she had become.

Some time later, she heard shouts coming from the direction of the man's body and took it as her cue to leave. She equipped her armor and opened a path back to the Lanes Between, and she departed on the course of the Land of Departure.

"Where else can I go…?" she sighed heavily. It was the only place she saw as even a remote possibility. Other than Eraqus, Terra, and Ventus, she didn't know of anyone else who called the land home.

Seclusion was just what she needed. There, no one would find her. And if someone did, he'd be equipped and trained to end her.


	6. Chapter VI: Surviving

_Three months later_

"AQUA!" Ventus called out once again as he traversed the Land of Departure on his glider. His throat was growing scratchy from all of his yelling throughout months of searching for his missing friend. Though they'd never say it aloud, he could sense Eraqus and Terra had all but admitted defeat in finding the lost apprentice, and none of the three of them could be certain what had happened or why she had disappeared. Ventus knew she had returned with them after their encounter with Vanitas and they hadn't been assigned any other missions that she could have left early. She truly had simply vanished, and they had no leads.

So, Eraqus and his two remaining apprentices had spent weeks searching the various worlds they figured she could be in, but this yielded nothing. Finally, in a last-ditch attempt to locate her, Ventus had decided to search their home world- the one place they hadn't searched extensively. Terra had argued that if she were there, she would have come home by now or they would have noticed any unwanted visitors that may have made a home somewhere in the mountains. But it was the only place where Ventus still had any hope in finding her, regardless of how silly that hope seemed.

But as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the horizon and the stars began to peak out, he sighed and came to rest on one of the cliffs of the mountains where he sat down and braced his forehead against his knees.

"Where are you?" he mumbled. If someone had kidnapped her, however unlikely it seemed, what was the point in holding her for so long without telling anyone? If she was dead… why hadn't her body turned up? Though it would have pained him to find that someone or something had ended her life, he would have taken it over simply not knowing. He would have preferred closure over this wondering, waiting, hoping. He stayed on that cliff for some time, turning over what little he knew in his head over and over in the hopes of seeing a new angle they'd failed to come across previously. But then, something prompted him to look up.

"A meteor shower!" he realized and jumped to his feet in excitement as the lights of the shower streaked across the sky. He took off running for the spot he and his friends usually went to watch these spectacles, stumbling as he transitioned from zero to running with nothing in between.

When he got there, however, he totally forgot about the meteor shower as he saw a figure sitting on the edge of the cliff, watching the skies.

"A-Aqua?" he asked, suddenly choking on the words. Aqua jumped and got to her feet, but she didn't turn around. "Aqua!" He started toward her, but she flinched, and her words stopped him.

"D-Don't come any closer, Ven," she told him sternly.

"What?" he wondered, confused. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you!"

"I… I'm sorry," she replied softly.

"Aqua," Ven beckoned. "Will you at least look at me? What's the matter?" She hesitated. "I'm your friend. You can tell me." After several long moments of silence, she finally turned around, and he gasped. Her red-eyed gaze refused to look at him, and her skin was abnormally pale.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, and it sounded like she was about ready to cry.

"Aqua…" Despite her earlier warning, he took several steps closer to her. "What happened?"

"It was the night after we came back from Radiant Garden," she began. "I was asleep, but… a pain in my neck woke me up and I found Vanitas standing over me. He had blood on his lip…"

"He bit you?" Ven blinked. She pulled off the scarf she was wearing and revealed two small puncture-like wounds on her neck. Anger immediately shot through him, and he clenched his fists. "But why would he do this to you?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "He just said to come find him when I woke up. I've been trying to avoid Radiant Garden ever since… I want to tear him apart for what he's done, but… I'm scared, Ven." He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Aqua," he sighed. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"Me too." She paused for several moments. "So… what will you do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm one of them," she said simply. "I'm that _thing_ you've been training to destroy."

"Aqua!" He interrupted her. "You're my friend! I don't care what happens to you. I could never hurt you."

"Ven, I've killed people!" she replied, her voice straining. "Innocent people who didn't deserve to die. But I can't help it…" her hand wrapped loosely around her throat. "The hunger, that thirst- It's… overpowering." Ven looked down.

"I figured. But… I don't want to say I don't care, but I won't hurt you. You're doing what you have to, right?" Realization of how much of a hypocrite he was crashed down on him, but he did his best to ignore it.

"I try," she agreed. "I can usually last about six or seven days between… hunts, I guess. I know it leaves me kind of weak, but… I try to space it as few and far between as possible."

"Whereas Xehanort and Vanitas seem to be heading out every couple of days," Ven sighed. "I… Aqua, I won't lie to you and say it doesn't bother me that you have to… to kill. But, more than anything, I'm grateful that you're alive."

"More or less," she said darkly.

"Is there anything I can do?" he wondered. "To help?" She looked at the ground, and her muscles tensed.

"Y-you can leave," she replied.

"Huh?"

"Ven, your heartbeat… it's been several days since I last hunted. Your heart… I can't help it."

"O-Oh…" he realized. "Sorry." But something clicked in his head- something stupid, he'd admit, but something he could, perhaps, due to help her.

"You should leave while you can," she urged him.

"No," he replied to her obvious dismay. "Maybe I can help you."

"How?"

"W-Well… part of the reason why de- why vampires have to kill their prey is because they don't want knowledge of their existence getting out, right? It's the same reason we don't tell people about them, since it would either cause a panic or no one would believe us."

"Right…" she nodded slowly.

"But I already know about their- your- existence, and I won't tell anyone about you." He could see in her eyes that she could already guess where he was going with this. "Maybe… If you left me with enough to survive…"

"Ven!" Aqua protested. "I couldn't ask that of you."

"You don't have to ask. I'm offering."

"But…" She shut her eyes and sighed. "Ven, I don't know if I could control myself… I don't know how I could live knowing your death was on my hands."

"I trust you," he told her. Silence passed between them.

"You're not going to listen to me, are you?" she finally realized.

"I want to help you," he insisted. "At least this way, you won't have to… to kill anyone."

"I can't argue with that," she admitted. "But… Ven, if something happens…" she paused. "I will personally take you back to the Master and Terra and tell them everything. They can do with me as they see fit." He wanted to argue, but realized that these were the only terms she would agree to. Finally, he nodded.

"If that's what you want to do, I can't really stop you." He felt his heartbeat escalate as he pulled the collar of his shirt and jacket to the side, and Aqua flinched. She approached him hesitantly and took hold of his hand, and her breath made his skin tingle as a chill shot down his spine. Every instinct in his body told him to run, to summon his Keyblade and fight back, but he forced himself to remain still.

"A…Are you sure about this?" she asked him, and he nodded.

"Go ahead," he breathed, his voice shaking, and not a moment later did he feel a sharp pain pierce his neck. He grit his teeth and tears welled up in his squinted eyes, making up for the scream he swallowed. He felt his body quickly weakening.

"A-Aqua…" he breathed as panic welled up in his fogging mind. She pulled back as his legs gave out and he fell against her.

"Ven!" she cried as she held him up. He didn't have the energy to reply, simply trying to keep himself breathing and conscious. She laid him down on the ground as he tried to focus his blurred vision on her. "I-I'm so sorry, Ven… Come on. Stay with me." He tried to gather the strength to reply, but failed.

_I'll be okay…_ he thought groggily, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

Some time later, he'd recovered enough to smile, and Aqua breathed a sigh of relief as she took hold of his hand again.

"Hi," he croaked, and she returned his smile.

"Hi," she replied. "Are you… okay?"

"I think so," he told her. "Kinda weak and really tired…"

"I'm sorry, Ven," her smile faded. "I never should have-"

"'S alright…" he interrupted. "I'll be okay. D-Did I help?" She didn't reply immediately.

"Yes, you did," she finally confirmed. "Thank you."

"I'm glad…" He curled forward and was immediately greeted by a dizzy head, and she helped keep him up. "Hey… where are you staying?" he wondered once his mind cleared to the extent that it could in his current state.

"I found a cave in the mountains," she replied. "It doesn't see much sunlight, and I put up some thick curtains for the occasional times it does. It's not too far from here, but it's out of the way and I don't think anyone would really notice it."

"Ah," he shut his eyes. "I'll come visit…"

"Not until you've recovered," she scolded lightly, and he nodded.

"I should get back," he noticed. "Before Terra and the Master start worrying about me…"

"You're certainly not walking!" she argued. He summoned his Keyblade and called up his glider before climbing up on it.

"I think I left my window open," he mumbled, exhaustion again overtaking him. "I'll be fine." He could tell she didn't entirely believe him, but she didn't argue. "Stay safe, Aqua."

"You too, Ven. Be careful." With that, he flew off, fighting to stay conscious long enough to reach his room, and his entry through the window was far from graceful. He bumped the side before clearing it and slithered off his glider before he dismissed it and climbed up onto his bed. Whether he fell asleep or unconscious, he couldn't be sure, but he went immediately.


	7. Chapter VII: Twice Bitten

"Come on, Ven!" Terra teased as he smacked his fellow apprentice with the flat of his Keyblade. "You're so sluggish. Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," Ventus replied as the mark of Aqua's bite on his neck itched under the short-sleeved black turtleneck he'd started wearing to hide it. The last thing he needed was Terra and Eraqus finding out he'd been bitten in the first place, let alone that he was willingly helping one of their sworn enemies- so to speak.

It had been roughly another two months since he found Aqua, and he'd tried to adjust to the agreement as best he could. Of course, his body wasn't exactly happy about the blood loss basically as soon as he'd recovered from the last one. Needless to say, his training had suffered a bit and Eraqus was worried about him slowing down, and he pushed himself hard to prove he could still fight and was a worthy apprentice to the Master.

"Are you sure?" Eraqus inquired as he approached them, and Ventus turned around to face him as he dipped his head respectively.

"Yes, sir," he said in a strong voice. The Master observed his youngest apprentice a moment longer before nodding as well, and Terra came to stand at attention next to the blond-haired boy.

"Very well." Eraqus took a deep breath and sighed. "Losing Aqua was a heavy blow against us. I still very much mourn for her, just as I'm sure you two do as well." The apprentices nodded slowly. "That being said, we cannot delay any longer. You are to return to Radiant Garden tonight and hunt down Xehanort and Vanitas by any means necessary. These months of silence on our part may have drawn them into a false sense of security. With any luck, that will make it easier for you to find and ambush them."

"And what of you, Master?" Terra asked, and Eraqus shut his eyes for a moment.

"I didn't tell you two about this because I didn't want you to worry any more, but I caught wind of a possible demon in Traverse Town some time ago. I've put off an investigation long enough. Speaking strictly, I do not want you two to be separated- not after losing Aqua. That is why I will trust you with Radiant Garden. That way, you can watch out for each other." His gaze passed from Terra to Ventus. "Both of you, understand?"

"Yes, sir!" they both replied.

"Very good. I cannot stress this enough, Terra, Ventus. Do not stray out of each others' lines of sight. Xehanort is crafty and unpredictable: It is part of the reason I haven't been able to dispatch him. It would break my heart further to lose another of the finest apprentices I've ever had the privilege to train."

"Thank you, Master," both apprentices said within heartbeats of each other.

"All right, then. Prepare yourselves and leave immediately so you will have a bit of sunlight left to set your position. As soon as you either kill them or day breaks, you will come back here immediately: whichever comes first." He paused. "But if you feel overwhelmed and have to retreat, do so. I value your lives over their defeat."

"We'll be careful, Master," Terra promised. "We couldn't have had a better teacher and I know Ven has my back. Right, Ven?" He turned his head, and Ventus smiled and nodded.

"And you've got mine," he agreed, and Terra returned the smile.

"You have a strong bond of friendship and trust," Eraqus noted. "Never lose it. I hope it serves you well for years to come." He cleared his throat. "Now, then. Get to it!"

"Yes, sir!" They both hurried off, and Ventus felt a wave of conflict over keeping Aqua's secret. In the long run, he told himself, it was better they didn't know, but he could only guess how much not knowing her fate was eating away at Eraqus, both as a master and as a father figure. He shook his head and followed close behind Terra.

Once they had gathered their supplies, Eraqus saw them off as they summoned their armor and Terra opened a path to the Lanes Between. They departed quickly and sped for Radiant Garden, arriving just as the sun had touched the horizon. Once they had dismissed their armor, Ventus turned up the collar of his coat and Terra scanned the plaza before turning to him.

"You're sure you're feeling up to this?" he asked, and Ventus looked up to meet his gaze before he nodded.

"Someone's gotta be around to save you from trouble," he replied with a smile, and Terra ruffled his hair with a grin on his face. He laughed, protesting weakly. "But yeah. I'm okay."

"Then let's find a place where we can observe the area," Terra decided, and his fellow apprentice followed him. They climbed up onto a rooftop and both scanned around the area, each in a different direction as the sun began to sink behind the horizon.

"There are definitely plenty of places for them to hide," Ventus mused as he looked around. "Buildings, sewers, caves..."

"And all in a center of a large population," Terra agreed. "It's a demon's closest thing to heaven, huh?"

"Maybe, until we catch them." The blond boy smiled, and Terra threw a light punch at his arm. "Then they'll regret ever setting foot here."

They sat down, backs to each other, on the rooftop as they waited for nightfall, and the sounds of life in Radiant Garden began to die out into eerie silence. Stars began to peak out overhead along with a waning three-quarter moon, and once they were sure the daylight had left them, Terra motioned for his partner to stand up and follow him. He did so, and they strained their eyes and ears for any sign of their targets as they crept to the edge of the roof, but found nothing.

"I hope we didn't just miss them," Ventus mumbled.

"Even if they aren't hunting, I doubt they'd just stay holed up wherever their hideout is," Terra replied in an equally soft voice. "From what you've told me, Vanitas isn't one to hide himself for very long."  
>"He's always been kind of headstrong," Ventus agreed. "And stubborn. And doesn't listen to reason very much. Adding in the Darkness and being a demon," he almost felt bad for using such terminology, "probably just made it worse."<p>

"And Xehanort wants to keep a low profile," Terra continued. "So even if he doesn't want to be out, Vanitas probably is and Xehanort will want to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Which he's good at," Ventus chuckled, and Terra briefly smirked in amusement.

"I don't think we're gonna find them up here," he said, bringing them back to the task at hand. "Time to do a little hunting of our own." With that, they climbed back down to the ground and started down a side road, Terra in the lead and Ventus keeping up not two paces behind him, glancing behind every now and again to assure they weren't being followed. They came to an open area of pipe works and slowed to a halt, and Terra took a deep breath.

"Where are they?" he wondered, scratching the back of his head as Ventus frowned. "I hope they're still here."

"You mean they might have left for another world?" Ventus asked, and Terra shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm just thinking of possibilities. And I-" He stopped short and dove forward, tackling Ventus to the ground with a huff, and the younger boy groaned in protest as he hit the ground. A blast of darkness hit the ground where they had been standing, missing them by hairs, and they both scrambled back to their feet and summoned their Keyblades.  
>"So, Eraqus's dogs finally show themselves," a throaty voice said, and they looked up to find both Xehanort and Vanitas jumping down from the top of a building on the side of the area. "I was almost certain he would have come himself instead of sending his apprentices to their deaths."<p>

"Not today!" Terra spat.

"Tonight," Vanitas corrected with a smirk, and the older of Eraqus's apprentices glared at him.

"Whatever. It's time you stopped haunting the worlds once and for all!" Xehanort turned to exchange a glance with his own apprentice before looking back at Terra and Ventus.

"It is all a cycle, boy," he said darkly, spreading his arms. "A food chain. We are the predators of humans, just as humans feed on so many other species."

"Then I guess we're your predators," Ventus snapped, and Xehanort merely chuckled.

"Yes, this game of cat and mouse has gone on long enough." At his master's words, Vanitas summoned the Void Gear and set himself into his battle stance. "It's time we ended it!" Once he had finished speaking, he shot forth another cast of darkness, and Eraqus's apprentices scrambled to either side to avoid it. Vanitas sprinted forth and Ventus brought the Wayward Wind up quickly to block the black-haired boy's attack as Xehanort closed in on Terra.

"Two on two, eh?" Vanitas chided as Ventus got back to his feet and readied himself for a fight. "Where's your third? Aqua, was it?"

"None of your business!" Ventus hissed, and Vanitas smirked at him before hurrying forward and swinging his Keyblade down quickly. Ventus rolled to the side and sprung back up, lashing out his own weapon, but Vanitas stepped back, the Wayward Wind's teeth barely missing him.

"Mm... Listen to that desperate beating," he taunted. "Don't you feel that, Ventus? Your heart racing in your chest, hammering with fear. I can smell it on you." He rushed forward and knocked Ventus back, sending him skidding, before the golden-eyed boy slammed his arm into his target's chest, forcing him back against a wall, the wind knocked out of him, Ventus panicked as Vanitas grabbed hold of his throat.

"Ven!" Terra called out, but Xehanort kept him from rushing over to help his friend.

"T-Terra..." Ventus gasped, his heart indeed beating hard and fast in his chest as he struggled to breathe, his fingers desperately clawing to pull away the hand at his throat. Vanitas smiled coldly at him.

"No hard feelings," he said in a low voice as he pulled down one side of Ventus's turtleneck, his fingers like ice against his prey's neck. His eyebrows rose in curiosity, however, as he caught sight of the mark already there. "You've already been bitten," he noticed. "...You found her, didn't you?" Desperate for air, Ventus didn't reply, and Vanitas clucked his tongue and shook his head. "If you ever see her again, tell her I'm getting tired of waiting." With that, Ventus cried out as Vanitas's fangs pierced his neck right around the wound Aqua had left, and he continued to struggle as he tried to stay conscious.

"VEN!" Terra shouted, swinging his Keyblade hard at Xehanort, connecting to the old man's side and forcing him to the ground. He hurried over just as Ventus's blurring mind tried to think of an escape, and he forced himself to stop his thrashing for just a moment before he brought his knee up and hit Vanitas hard in the abdomen. He coughed, splattering a bit of blood on Ventus's coat and the wall, and his victim broke away from his grip and fell to the ground as he covered his bleeding wound with his hand.

"Tricky little..." Vanitas grumbled, and Ventus trembled as he saw his own blood dripping down his former friend's chin. He called out in anger as Terra's Keyblade hit him in the side, and the older apprentice hurried over and pulled Ventus's arm over his shoulders.

"You feeling okay?" he asked, looking into Ventus's eyes, and he nodded weakly. "You don't think you have anything in your system?"  
>"D-Don't think so..."<p>

"Alright. Hang on." Terra backed up as their opponents closed in on them, and he threw his Keyblade up to summon his glider. Both Xehanort and Vanitas jumped to the side as it came flying back in, and Terra placed Ventus in front of him as he climbed on and activated his armor.

"Stay with me, Ven!" he all but ordered. "Get your armor and open us up a path back home!" Ventus did as he was told, pulling down his sleeve to reach his pauldron and activated his armor, then summoned his Keyblade and opened the Lanes Between. Terra glanced over his shoulder, but it seemed neither of the demons had any intention of following them. He adjusted his arms protectively around his friend as Ventus drifted in some state between consciousness and unconsciousness, his brain dizzy and his vision blurry. "Keep it together," Terra said firmly. "We're almost home and the Master will patch you up. Just stay awake..."

"Aqua..." Ventus mumbled, Terra's words like a far off voice, and he was only vaguely aware of Terra's glider touching down back in the Land of Departure.


	8. Chapter VIII: Deadly Request

"Master!" Terra called out as he forced the main doors of the Land of Departure's castle open with his shoulder, holding a semi-conscious Ventus in his arms. "Master Eraqus! Are you here?!" Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Master, and he swore under his breath as Ventus mumbled something incomprehensible. "Of all the times for him to leave..." The older apprentice shook his head and adjusted his partner to hold him more comfortably before he made his way up to the thrones and glanced around. "MASTER!" He called out again.

"Terra?" a voice wondered, and he turned around to find Eraqus coming up the stairs a few moments later. Concern became evident on his face as he caught sight of Ventus, and he hurried over to them. "What happened?!"

"Xehanort and Vanitas attacked us," he explained quickly. "They managed to get between us and Vanitas bit him. He actually managed to free himself, but he's been like this ever since."  
>"And how long ago was that?" Eraqus demanded, and Ventus again mumbled something they couldn't make out as the Master brushed his hand against the boy's forehead. "Wait, tell me on the way. Take him up to his room." Terra nodded and followed Eraqus up through the halls of the castle.<p>

"It's been a little while," he replied in response to the Master's question. "If it was going to turn him, it would have started by now."

"Ventus," Eraqus called as he turned to the boy, "Can you hear me?" Ventus didn't reply, but only continued his half-conscious babbling that faded out of and back into silence. No one said anything else until they had reached Ventus's room and Terra placed him on the bed, and he stepped back as Eraqus knelt down at his apprentice's side and tilted his head to observe the wound on his neck. "Terra," he beckoned without looking up, "Tell me of this 'Vanitas.' Do you know anything about him?"  
>"Apparently, he actually used to be friends with Ven," Terra recalled, thinking back to what Ventus had told him. "Apparently, he wasn't all that happy when Ven came here to train with us. But I'm going to guess Master Xehanort caught him and turned him at some point. And he's a Keyblade wielder."<p>

"A Keyblade wielder... then it's no wonder why Xehanort was interested in him." Eraqus shook his head and rested his hand on Ventus's chest. "Continue."

"He's opened himself to Darkness," Terra continued. "He's fast and strong, and he doesn't seem to care about either being human once or how Ventus was his friend before. All he thinks about is how humans are prey to him and he enjoys hunting."

"Darkness can twist people into unrecognizable forms," Eraqus muttered. "It is unfortunate that he suffered such a fate, but it also means that he has to be stopped." He got back to his feet and sighed. "Ventus will be okay. He'll need a bit of time to recover, but his life isn't in danger and he won't turn. You did well retreating as soon as you were able to, Terra. Thank you for bringing him home."

"I don't want to lose anyone else," Terra replied. "But thank you, Master."

"Neither do I, Terra. You know you, Ventus, and Aqua are like my children. I do not want anything to happen to you."

"Aqua..." Ventus mumbled, and both Eraqus and Terra turned their attention to him.

"He misses her," the Master observed as Ventus said her name again. "Understandably. I do wish she were here right now."

"Me too, Master," Terra agreed. "I bet the three of us could finish both Vanitas and Xehanort off."

"I believe you could," Eraqus nodded. "But, unfortunately, that is no longer an option. And now, I realize that Ventus is hardly ready to be out in the field. I should never have let him go in the first place, but he so desperately wanted to be out with you and Aqua... I knew you two could protect him and he could help you." He paused and sighed. "But the threat we face now is too great for him to overcome." Again, he fell silent in thought. "Go and rest, Terra. We'll check on him later and talk in the morning." Terra nodded silently and left with Eraqus following close behind.

Ventus either fell asleep or passed out at some point or other, and he remained that way for the rest of the night and most of the following day. To their relief, he actually had woken up long enough to have a mostly-coherent conversation with Terra and Eraqus, but he didn't have much to say and fell back asleep shortly after. It wasn't until that evening that he woke again and sat up slowly, his head still dizzy, and he wasn't entirely sure if he was going to vomit or not.

"Terra...?" he called weakly, rubbing his eye. "M-Master?" But it seemed no one was around. Terra may have finally gone to bed and who knew what Eraqus was up to? He took a deep breath and reached up to open his window as the sky turned a shade of red-orange.  
>He wasn't going to get to his destination by walking.<br>He got up slowly and summoned his Keyblade, then climbed up on the windowsill and heaved it into the air to call his Glider. Once it returned to him, he sat down on it as best he could and rode it out to the mountains until he came to a small cave partially masked by plants and a cloth drape. He sat outside it, hovering in the air, for several moments as he pondered exactly what it was he was going to do, but he wasn't entirely sure if he had a choice. Xehanort and Vanitas had to be stopped, and he knew he would need Aqua's help if he was going to stand a chance against their opponents.

He sighed and shook his head, a motion that only made his stomach churn, before he dropped down onto the mountainside and trudged over to the cave. He pulled back the curtain carefully and went inside, where he found Aqua still quite heavily asleep. She was on her side, slightly curled with her head against a pillow and a blanket underneath her, her eyes closed peacefully. He smiled briefly at the sight, how she seemed so innocent, so at peace, and so calm. It was almost possible to forget what she had become- the only reminder he found was the sight of one of her fangs within her slightly opened mouth. He sat down and leaned his back against the stone wall, and he waited.

Once night had fallen and he could barely see, Aqua stirred and opened her eyes. She yawned and sat up with a stretch. Once she had lowered her arms, however, her eyes seemed to blank for a moment until she turned to stare at him.

"Ven?!" she blurted, briefly scrambling back before allowing herself to calm down. "What are you doing here? How long have you been sitting there?"

"I dunno," he admitted. "I came just as the sun was starting to set. I guess I wanted to see you." She watched him a moment longer, a frown twitching on her lips.

"What happened?" she asked. "You don't look well. And your heartbeat seems awfully labored."

"Sorry..." he looked down. "I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

"I can handle it," she assured him. "But Ven, please. Tell me what happened." He nodded and took a deep breath.

"The Master had me and Terra go to Radiant Garden to find Xehanort and Vanitas. They found us first and got between us, and Vanitas bit me... Everything after that is kind of a blur."

"Vanitas... bit you?" she repeated, clenching her hands into tight fists, and a brief flicker of some possessive nature in her eyes along with her anger confused him.

"Yeah," he said. "Got a pretty good part of my blood. I'm probably lucky to be alive."

"That would explain why you seem so weak," she noticed. "But what can I do? I don't see how I can really help right now." He didn't immediately reply, but drew up his legs against his chest.

"You could help me," he finally said. "Aqua... I can't keep this up. That's twice now that Vanitas nearly killed me. I haven't even fought Xehanort and I know he'd wipe the floor with me." He stared at the cave floor, shivering a bit and refusing to look up at her. "I... If I'm gonna fight them, I need to do it on their level..." She didn't immediately reply once he fell silent.

"Ven... What are you saying?" she finally asked in a small voice. He looked up shyly, his eyes pleading with her to do as he asked.

"I saying I want you to... to turn me," he finally squeaked, and she stared at him blankly.

"Wha... Turn you?!" she echoed. "Ven, no! I can't do that to you. I won't. You don't want this life... You don't want to be a monster." He frowned and crawled over to her, meeting her gaze with his own.

"You're NOT a monster," he said in as firm of a voice as he could muster. "And... It's not just about Vanitas or Xehanort. What about you?"

"What _about _me?" she asked softly, and he sighed.

"I'm not gonna be around forever," he said as he sat back again. "Especially at this rate. Something's probably gonna kill me before I see thirty years. And where will that leave you?" His face flushed as he reached out to place his hand on hers. "I don't want to leave you alone, Aqua. I'd gladly spend eternity with you so you don't have to be."

"Ven..." her voice broke and she looked down, tearing her gaze away from his. "I want you to live. I don't want you to have to suffer this fate."

"I'm not going to live at this rate!" he insisted. "Vanitas and Xehanort have to be stopped, and we don't have time to wait around for me to train harder- and there's no promise that that'll even work. No... I'll have a better chance if I can fight them on their field. And..." His voice quieted as he took her hand in his. "You're one of my best friends."

"What about Terra?" she asked in a small voice, and he looked down in thought.

"Terra's got his whole life ahead of him... He can travel, find other people, take on an apprentice of his own if he wants when he's done training. But, you, Aqua... I don't want to leave you with nothing." Again, they both were silent for a time. Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed slowly.

"You're mind's made up?" she asked, and he nodded. "And you won't accept 'no' as an answer, will you?"

"I can't force you, Aqua," he replied. "But I want you to. Please." After another few moments, she sighed again heavily and pulled him into her arms for a tight hug, and he grunted in surprise. He resisted flinching at the chill of her embrace, but instead returned it.

"I forgot how warm you are," she mumbled. "But... If this is what you really do want..."

"It is," he replied. "Please, Aqua. You're the only one I can ask." It took her a moment of hesitation before she spoke again.

"Then I will... But I'm warning you, Ven. Your body will feel like lead and you'll pass out for several hours. And when you wake up, there'll be such a burning in your throat. You'll be so stiff it hurts and you'll barely be able to think straight."

"But you'll be here for me, right?" he asked as he held her tighter, straining his weakened muscles.

"Of course," she promised. "Always, Ven." She paused. "Are... are you ready?"

"Yeah." He willed himself to remain still as his instincts told him to run and to fight back, and her breath made his skin tingle. Barely a moment later, her fangs pierced his neck and he squeaked with pain just as he usually did. This time, however, she did not take any of his blood, but rather pulled back as his already foggy mind fought to stay conscious. She adjusted and held him in her arms as she laid him back, and he looked up to her with fear in his eyes as his hand automatically reached up to cover the wound. He could see guilt in her features and tried to smile, but failed as his vision blurred and his body refused to respond to what his mind tried to command it to do.

"I'll be here when you wake," she promised, her voice like a far-off call as he let go of his consciousness and slipped into darkness.


	9. Chapter IX: Set Aflame

If there was one thing Aqua had learned in her months of being a vampire, it was patience. She waited in silence, unmoving as she held Ventus protectively in her arms, watching his face twitch and his body tremble every now and again, his eyes squeezed shut as sweat beaded on his face. She watched with some mix of curiosity and guilt: she had never actually seen the turning process and knew very little about it, only that it started with a bite that didn't drink blood and lasted for several hours. The guilt came from knowing that Ventus was the test subject.

Even in his unconscious state, occasional groans escaped his throat and his muscles clenched and relaxed randomly, and she could only hope her gentle hold on him helped comfort him in some way. Perhaps this was simply an effect of what might as well have been her venom, or maybe his body was trying- and failing- to fight it off, to resist the changes it brought. His heart sprinted in his chest, likely trying to overcome the poison in his bloodstream but serving only to help it along. Strangely enough, it didn't cause her any urge to feed, and even she had to admit his blood took on a odd scent that didn't seem as warm as it was before. She couldn't say it was good or bad, only that it was different.

It was a strange sensation to feel his body's warmth slowly start to gradually cool several hours into the process, though sweat still formed on his forehead, leaving a deathly sheen on his paling skin. His spasms became less frequent until they finally stopped, and he panted heavily as his heart thudded irregularly in his chest. He clenched his teeth and whimpered softly and briefly, and she frowned and held him a bit tighter, fear washing over her as his heart clenched in his chest, one last nearly sickening sound before it was overtaken by silence. Everything about him had stopped: his heartbeat, his breathing, any movement of his muscles. She bit her lip. As far as she was concerned, he seemed dead, and she silently pleaded for him to show her some sign that it hadn't killed him, that it wasn't too much for his weakened body to handle.

Then, after what seemed like hours in just a moment, he gasped almost violently, his eyes flying open as his hand shot up to cling to her arm. His formerly blue eyes darted around wildly as his body tensed.

"Ven!" she all but yelled, holding him tighter as she attempted to catch his gaze as his body trembled and his head thrashed from side to side. "Ventus!" Finally, he looked at her, and guilt swept over her to see those dark red eyes watching her, full of fear, panic, and confusion.

"A-Aqua?" he said weakly, and she smiled with a bit of relief.

"I'm here, Ven," she replied softly. "I told you I would be. It's over now." He blinked several times, confusion still clear in his eyes, until it finally faded to be replaced with some level of shock, and his gaze lost focus.

"I'm..." The hand gripping her arm so desperately slowly relaxed and drifted to cup around his throat, his fingers tracing the mark her fangs had left there. "I'm a... vampire...?"

"No going back now," she said lightly, and he leaned his head back against her arm and closed his eyes.

"I'm really thirsty..." he mumbled. "My throat feels like it's on fire..." She nodded and helped him to his feet, and he groaned as he tried to stretch out his stiff muscles. "Wow, you weren't kidding. I feel like I just went two dozen rounds straight with Terra and he won _all _of them. And then ran over me with his Glider." She chuckled softly.

"Come on. If you get moving, it should help loosen you up." He nodded, but frowned.

"So... We're going hunting, aren't we?"

"...Yes." He took a deep breath and nodded again.

"Then we should go before the sun comes up, right?"

"Right." He followed her out of the cave and both activated their armor, and she opened a path to the Lanes Between as he summoned his Glider. He followed her in silence, still trying to gain back control of his thoughts from the many sensations he was hit with. He could hear the soft scrape of his armor as he adjusted his stance, could sharply see all the folds and even the stitching on Aqua's suit ahead of him, and the scents he picked up almost made him dizzy. He could pick up what was left of his own sweat, a bit of residue of something he couldn't place on his own armor, and Aqua had a scent that seemed awfully distinct and even intoxicating to him, though he had no idea why. He shook his head and trained his attention to the world they approached.

Once they had landed, he found himself assaulted by bright lights and a bombardment of rhythmic beating and warm scents that made his throat burn and his mouth water- or, it would if it could. He stumbled as he suddenly found himself wrestling for control of his instincts and body, and Aqua grabbed his arm to restrain him as his head spun.

"This is Traverse Town," she explained softly in some attempt to distract him. "I came here after I was turned... it's a decent place with a ton of people. They don't seem too afraid of the dark, do they?"

"A-Aqua..." he panted, trying to tug his arm away from her and all but ignoring what she had said. "I need to... I'm so thirsty..." She stepped closer to him and took his arm in both of hers.

"Keep it together, Ven," she hissed into his ear. "That's just your instincts talking. You need to fight it until the time is right. You can't go after anyone in a crowd like this. We need to keep our presence as unknown as possible."  
>"But..." He grit his teeth and lowered his head. "The smell... All those beating hearts..." He pulled at his arm again, but she tightened her grip on him. "Let go of me!"<p>

"Not until I know you're in control!" she replied in a low voice. "You'll have your chance, Ven. But you have to wait." He sighed as he pondered her words and wrestled with his instinct and desire to simply grab the nearest human and drain his or her body right then and there. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, but such a tactic proved only to worsen the situation as he inhaled the mix of so many warm smells, so many testimonies to the hot blood that flowed through every person in this square. His tongue inadvertently drew over one of his newly formed fangs and felt Aqua's arms tighten around his.

Without another word, she half led, half dragged him to a door to their right marked the "Third District," and this indicated district wasn't nearly as populated as the first. His ears picked up some giggling sound, and they both crept forward to find a young man and woman, not much older than they were, coming down a set of stairs. They paid no heed to Ventus or Aqua, instead walking hand in hand toward a fountain nestled in the corner of two walls. Ventus wrenched his arm from his companion's grip and started toward him as she hissed his name, but she didn't try to restrain him again as she followed him. As he approached, the man turned around to glance at him.

"You out with your special girl too?" he asked in a casual voice, and Ventus's gaze glanced between him and his date as Aqua came to stand at his side. The girl smiled and shoved him playfully.

"Oh, don't make assumptions!" she teased. "Though they are cute together."

"Whatever," the man shrugged. "You'll have to find another spot. This one's taken."

"Ven..." Aqua cautioned as he flexed his fingers, took deeper and more frequent breaths and stepped closer to them. "Ven. Calm down... These two are just out for a nice evening. Don't..." But he ignored her as the man turned around to face him again.

"There something wrong with you, buddy?" he asked, and Ventus again grit his teeth. "I don't got any money worth taking. Just leave us alone!"

"...Can't..." Ventus mumbled, straining his ears and glancing over them. Finally, before Aqua could stop him, he rushed forward and grabbed the man, tearing him away from his screaming date. The sudden smell of adrenaline pushed him over the edge, and he didn't even have time to think about it before he sunk his fangs into the man's neck, breaking the skin and causing a generous flow of crimson that tasted hot, rustic, and salty on his tongue. He pulled it into his mouth greedily and felt it run down his throat, calming the burning within as he held his victim long after he'd lost the energy to struggle and fight back.

It was only a few moments later that his body fell to Ventus's feet, lifeless and his mouth still slightly agape in a silent scream. Ventus blinked and looked down at him, then to his own hands as his frenzy died down and horror replaced it. He looked up with wide, fearful eyes at Aqua just as she finished off the girl. Her gaze was sympathetic, and she took a step closer to him.

"Are you back in control?" she asked quietly, and he didn't know how to reply as he wiped his mouth, streaking his hand with red.

"I..." he stammered in a quiet voice. "I... I killed... I just killed him..." Accompanying his horror was sudden panic, and he sprinted off into an alley with Aqua calling after him and following close behind. He sat down against the wall and wrapped his arms around his legs, his knees to his chest as he stared blankly at the air in front of him and panted heavily.

"Ven..." Aqua mumbled, and he didn't reply for quite some time.

"I killed someone..." he said again. "Aqua, he's dead because of me! I don't know what came over me... I thought I'd have more control..." She sat down next to him and opened her arms, and he leaned into them and clung to her as he sobbed into her chest and she stroked his hair.

"I tried to warn you," she said somewhat harshly, only adding to his guilt. "You know better than anyone what we have to do. Fighting off our instincts is almost impossible when you need to hunt that badly."

"I..." his voice trembled as he tightened his arms around her. "All I could think about was feeding... I wasn't myself. It was like something else was controlling me." He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "When I... was helping you. It... It took a lot of self control for you not to kill me, didn't it?" She hesitated before nodding slowly. "That's amazing..." He pulled back and again curled himself up, burying his face in his knees.

"Ven..." she said, softening her tone. "Do you regret your decision?" He lifted his head slightly as he thought about it.

"I... I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe a little..."

"Can I ask you something?" she wondered, and he turned to her and nodded. "Tell me honestly. Why did you want me to turn you? What made you come to that decision so quickly?" He didn't immediately reply.

"I was scared," he finally said. "Beyond putting myself in danger, I could have gotten Terra hurt too. Vanitas almost killed me and I could barely fight back. I thought... if I could face them as one of them, then it wouldn't be quite so dangerous. I wouldn't have to worry about them biting me, whether they turned me or just sucked me dry." He shuddered at the thought. "I... I panicked... I'm so terrified of them." He fell silent for a moment. "And... I really did mean it when I said I didn't want to leave you alone." He looked back to her and met her gaze with wide, almost pleading eyes. "Please don't hate me for this..."

"Oh, Ven," she murmured and pulled him in again to hold him close. "I couldn't hate you no matter what you did. I'm just worried about you adjusting to this life. But... I do appreciate your company. Eternity must get lonely when you don't have someone to share it with." He pulled back and smiled a bit, though his fear and grief were still evident in his eyes.

"We'll just have to pull through together, right?" he asked weakly, and she nodded with her own slight smile.

"Yeah. Though, for now, we should get back home before the sun comes up. Trust me, it burns." He nodded and got to his feet, his legs shaky as she opened a path above them, and they both departed quickly.


	10. Chapter X: Vow

It took almost all the energy Terra could muster to trudge from room to room, and when he reached his destination, he curled up on the bed within and simply laid there as he stared at the wall, his mind feeling dull. Everything wrestling within him all added up to one thing: He was tired. He'd been tired for days, and yet he couldn't sleep- not because Eraqus had him out hunting, but because his heart jumped at every sound, every gust of wind outside, every creak of the walls and floors. And when he could finally close his eyes, his dreams only served to refresh the anguish and grief that strangled his chest. Even he woke up to find himself shedding silent tears.

This time, he'd managed to make his way to Aqua's room and sat down inside, the dust tickling his nose. He looked at the broken mirror on her desk where he'd left it months before, still wondering how it had broken in the first place and tried to ignore that a sliver of his blood still remained dried on it. His eyes scanned over everything again and again, looking for some sign or other of a disturbance, or _anything_, that explained why she had disappeared. But neither her room nor Ventus's yielded anything- not that scan, not any other. They had vanished, and he had no idea why or how.

He forced his mind to clear, even if only slightly, as he tried to turn over the facts in his head. They had both disappeared after confronting that black-haired demon called Vanitas, who in turn was obviously working either for or with Xehanort. Vanitas himself rather obviously wanted Ventus dead for one reason or another, or simply didn't care if he lived or not. But at the same time, he didn't seem like he cared enough to actually come after Ventus just to finish the job- unless it was about his pride, which he was overflowing with. Perhaps that was it: He had no intention of letting his prey escape, or at least not permanently. But would he really come to the hallowed grounds of the Land of Departure, the home of one of the greatest hunters in their hidden history and his apprentices?

Terra sighed heavily and braced his forehead against his interlocked fingers, fidgeting his leg as he tried to fight back another wave of grief. Eraqus had only one apprentice now. He was the only one left, and he had no idea why or how. Nothing of Aqua had turned up since she had disappeared, and he had a sick feeling that the same would be true for Ventus. The brown-haired youth frowned as he pondered the boy, shifting his chin to his hands as he stared at the air in front of him.

He and Eraqus had traded off shifts keeping the peace in the castle so Ventus could rest without fear. It was a duty they'd all shared when one of them ended up with a bite on their body. While the victim rested, the others and Eraqus would take turns holding a vigil in the throne room to assure nothing disturbed him- or her, in Aqua's case. Much as he loathed admitting it, even Terra had been bitten once or twice, and Eraqus once told him that he'd had to draw out the poison in his body to assure his survival. He didn't remember the event, likely because he'd fallen unconscious. But he'd become much more wary and fought more defensively than he had before, hoping to assure it wouldn't happen again. It couldn't happen again, now that he was all that was left.

His thoughts returned to Ventus. How had the boy just up and disappeared? Neither Terra nor Eraqus had seen or sensed any unwanted visitors, and he had been too weak to go anywhere on his own... wasn't he? And even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have left without letting them know. He was too smart to go after Vanitas on his own, especially so soon after he'd been nearly killed.

Terra's lips pressed into a thin line as he thought about when he had last seen Ventus. He'd been babbling incoherently when he wasn't silent as stone as his body worked to replace the blood he'd lost, and even after he'd rested for a while, he still couldn't say much to them other than promising he would be okay and hoping that he wasn't being a burden on them. Both Eraqus and Terra had assured him with soft and warm smiles that he wasn't by any means, and that seemed to satisfy him. But before that, and even after when Terra crept into his room to assure he was sleeping peacefully, he mumbled Aqua's name every now and again.

The apprentice's gaze fixed itself on the wall and his shoulders tightened. Was that it? Had Ventus, in some delirious state, somehow left in search of her? He was never one to give up hope, even when both Terra and their master were ready to admit defeat. But even if he'd somehow managed to leave, he wouldn't have gotten far, and a chill in Terra's body made him tremble. In his weakened state, he would have been no match for Vanitas or Xehanort or any other blood-leeching demon that haunted the Worlds. And even if it wasn't some supernatural occurrence that got him, simple exposure and exhaustion could have been more than enough to finish him off. Unless he had somehow found shelter somewhere, there was a disturbingly large chance that he was dead for one reason or another.

"Ven..." Terra mumbled as he fell back against Aqua's bed with a bit of a flop, covering his face with his hands and letting out a shaky sigh against them. "You wouldn't do that... would you?" He removed his hands and stared at the ceiling. "Where are you?" he pleaded, but he received no answer from the blank whiteness above him. Again, he sighed and shut his eyes. "Wherever you went... please tell me you found her." All the hope he could muster in his heart came from the thought that, wherever he was, Aqua was there too, so at least he could be reunited with her. And if something had happened to them, if their lives had been cut short, he prayed they were watching over him and would lend him their strength.

He opened his eyes and sat up at the sound of footsteps, and he looked up as Eraqus came to stand next to him. He extended his hand and rested it on his apprentice's shoulder, and said nothing for a while.

"Do you think he's alive?" Terra finally asked him, and his sorrowful expression answered better than his words did.

"I would like to think he is," he replied. "Both him and Aqua." He sighed and, somewhat surprisingly, sat down at Terra's side. "I have failed them. And I have failed you, Terra, for being unable to protect those closest to you." Terra shook his head.

"I should have been able to," he said glumly. "I should have kept a closer eye on Ven. I never should have let those monsters get between us."

"You did as you should have," Eraqus insisted, resting his arm gently over the youth's shoulders. "You chose to escape rather than stay and fight. It isn't your fault that he's... not here."

"But why isn't he?" Terra demanded, wringing his hands together and staring at nothing. "Where did he go? How could anyone take him?"

"I don't know," the master sighed. "But I do know this, Terra. I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not suffer the same fate." He lowered his head. "I wouldn't be able to bear losing you as well. You're all I have left, and I would rather let the demons ravage the Worlds than see harm come to you." Terra looked up weakly to meet the master's gaze.

"I won't fail you again, Master," he vowed, and Eraqus smiled weakly as he gently shook his head.

"I couldn't be more proud of you. You've done everything I could ever ask of you and more."

"But I couldn't protect Aqua and Ven," the apprentice said, his voice breaking, and Eraqus again shook his head before he pulled the boy in for a soft embrace. Terra hesitated for a heartbeat before clinging to his master and sobbing quietly into his chest as his body trembled. They remained that way for some time, not as master and apprentice but as father and son, and Eraqus stroked Terra's hair gently in an attempt to comfort the grieving boy. Once he'd composed himself again, he pulled back and met Eraqus's gaze once more.

"We are going to put an end to this," he told his apprentice firmly. "You and I will not let this continue. Together, we can strike them down. Do you understand me?"  
>"Yes, sir," Terra dipped his head, his voice shaking.<p>

"Then we'd best begin planning. Xehanort and Vanitas will not fall easily, and we will be matched two for two- masters and apprentices. Do you think you can face Vanitas in battle on your own?"  
>"He won't stand a chance," Terra said. Eraqus smiled a bit and nodded.<p>

"Good. But I want you to understand this, Terra. I ask only because it is a possibility. If we can, I want to eliminate them one at a time. We will fight together, not apart. That should be enough to bring them down." He paused in thought. "Given their habits we've observed thus far, there will be no period of weakness for us to exploit. They hunt for sport along with feeding. We will have to be prepared to face their full might."

"We'll have to find a way," the apprentice said with a soft and heavy sigh. "It's gonna be either them or us, isn't it?"  
>"It may very well," Eraqus agreed. "Hunters are a dying breed, unfortunately. Many do not see the truth in the legends of bloodthirsty demons that haunt the night, and if they do, it is only when undeniable evidence is placed in front of them. At that point, they are too frightened, understandably, to fight back, and those that do often find themselves easily outmatched. Even if there are other hunters out there, they may not see themselves able to challenge Xehanort or Vanitas, let alone both."<p>

"Not to mention they're Keyblade wielders," Terra grumbled. "And they've opened themselves to Darkness. That's pretty much the worst combination we could ask for."  
>"Yes, it is. But we will have to defeat them. And we can, as long as we are careful."<p>

"We should go on a night with a full moon," Terra suggested. "That way we have as much light as possible." Eraqus nodded.

"Very good. That is an excellent idea. It will also give us time to prepare and train."

"Train, sir?" Terra wondered, tilting his head to the side.

"I've taught you to fight, but not alongside me," Eraqus elaborated. "And when we utilize each others' strengths, we'll come out that much stronger." He smiled softly. "And should things go well, perhaps you will be ready to call yourself a master in your own right." Terra's eyes widened, and he smiled as well.

"I will make you proud, Master Eraqus," he replied. "Thank you."

"I am already so proud of you," the master said warmly. "You will do great things, Terra. I have faith that you will keep the Worlds for many years to come."  
>"I will not fail," the apprentice vowed. "Never again."<p> 


	11. Chapter XI: Intoxication

"Ven," Aqua said softly as she prodded his arm. "Ven! Come on, wake up." Ventus grumbled something and adjusted, turning a bit further away from her and curling a slight bit more on his side. She chuckled and shook his shoulder gently. "Ven! Up and at 'em. You gonna waste the entire night sleeping?" Again, he groaned and blinked open his eyes, letting out an enormous yawn that briefly revealed his fangs before he closed his mouth and looked up at her.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, and she laughed as she shook her head.

"Nope. You've slept long enough. Now get up." He sighed heavily but smiled as he sat up and stretched.

"Okay, okay. What's the plan for the evening?" he asked as he scratched his head and tried to tame down the spikes in his hair that had managed to become even more wild than usual. Her good mood faded along with her smile.

"I think it's time we went to Radiant Garden." He frowned and nodded slowly.

"Time to hunt down Vanitas?" he guessed as he got to his feet.

"Time to tear him apart," she replied. "I've waited long enough. And as long as you're with me, I know I've got nothing to worry about." He smiled and probably would have been blushing if he could.

"You know I've got your back," he agreed as he strapped his pauldron to his left arm. "And I gotta pay him back for almost killing me. Twice." She nodded and wrapped her scarf over her neck, and they both pulled on their coats.

"I suppose we could hunt while we're there," she noted. "The blame would probably be put on him and Xehanort, so it would through the master off our trail..." They exchanged a sad glance and he sighed softly. "I hope they're doing well."  
>"Me too," Ventus said quietly. "Come on. Let's get moving so we've got time to spare." They headed out and summoned their gliders and armor once she had opened the Lanes Between, and they traveled in silence until they reached Radiant Garden and landed in the central plaza. Ventus frowned as he glanced around the silent streets, his throat itching with thirst that he'd begun to grow accustomed to in the two or so weeks after Aqua had bitten him. While alone, he didn't have much of an issue, but as soon as humans approached them, Aqua often had to restrain him to keep him from running off and attacking. Aqua observed him to assure he wouldn't suddenly fall into a frenzy for whatever reason, but he didn't, and she turned her attention to scan around the area.<p>

"Do you think you'll be okay if we split up?" she wondered, and he turned to face her. "I mean, that way we can cover more ground. We may have more luck hunting that way." The prey didn't matter- either way, she hoped it would be true. "Plus, it'll give you a chance to practice on your own. If you need anything, shoot a light into the air and I'll come as quick as I can." They both smiled and he shrugged.

"Alright," he nodded. "Same to you. And we'll meet back here before dawn?"

"Right," she agreed. "Be careful, and I'll see you soon." He waved and started down one alley, and she turned and headed toward the castle gates.  
>"Hey!" she heard a voice call once she had come close, and she peered forward to find two well-built men standing guard. One had long black hair and held a lance, and the other had short brown hair that had been slicked back and brandished an axe-sword. "You shouldn't be out alone, young lady!" the first continued. "The night is dangerous!"<p>

"Thank you for your concern," she called back. "But I'll be fine. I'm not worried about monsters from fairy tales, and I'm tougher than I look." The guards exchanged a look before turning their attention back to her.

"We must ask that you return home," the second spoke up. "Wouldn't want to see anything happen to you." She frowned.

"If there are such dangerous things out there, then why are you here and not patrolling the streets?" she challenged, and it seemed neither of them quite knew how to answer.

"This is our place," the first finally said. "We have our orders. Now, please, return to your home and keep yourself safe." She sighed and turned to walk away, not bothering to speak with them any longer. After a bit of time, she came to an alley and turned down the path, inhaling deeply in an attempt to find what she was searching for.

She froze as she heard a screech that probably woke everyone within fifteen blocks, and not a few moments later did a young woman come sprinting through, her skin shining with sweat and the smell of adrenaline rolling off her in waves. Aqua felt the fire in her throat burn brightly and started toward her.

"What in the world are you screaming about?" she asked a bit harshly, and the woman whirled around on the ball of her foot to stare wildly at her.

"V-Vampire!" she gasped as she attempted to keep herself from breaking down into tears. "Th-they're real... Run! Run fast and don't stop. He can't be far behind!" Aqua frowned and took several steps closer.

"Calm down," she said softly. "There's no such thing as vampires. They're just a legend."

"Th-that's what I thought," the woman stuttered as she looked over Aqua's shoulder. "But this one... he was so deathly pale and had fangs. He even hissed at me! He's a monster!" With that, the blue-haired youth let out a slow, soft sigh.

"There's nothing I can do to convince you you're wrong, is there?" she asked, meeting the woman's wild gaze.

"If you want to wait around for proof, be my guest, but I'm finding somewhere safe!" She turned and started to head off, but Aqua's gloved hand lashed out and grabbed her arm tightly. "Wh-what are you doing? Let me go!"

"I'm sorry," Aqua mumbled as her captive stared at her with wide, terrified eyes. "But I can't let you get away. The less people know about us, the better." She avoided looking at the woman's face and instead lunged for her throat, her fangs breaking the skin and starting a generous flow of blood. Aqua drank it in ravenously and the woman's screams quickly died down before they fell silent, and her lifeless body fell to the ground a few moments later. Her meal finished, Aqua stepped back in silence and lowered her head as grief shadowed her heart. But she found herself distracted as an oddly intoxicating scent reached her nose, one she didn't recognize.

"Ah, damn it! Don't tell me she got away," a voice complained, and she froze as her eyes widened. "I swear she- hey!" She turned around slowly and found herself meeting the golden gaze of a black-haired demon smirking at her. "Well, well, if it isn't Aqua. Kept me waiting, didn't you?" His smirk grew into a dangerous smile as he approached her, but she forced herself to hold her ground. "That wasn't very nice of you, stealing my prey. But I guess it's no harm done- I'll find someone else. And I guess I've found something even better." He didn't stop until he was about a pace and a half away from her, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

She started to form a reply, but her head felt dizzy as his scent overwhelmed her. "I... I've been looking for you," she finally managed to say, and resisted flinching under his gaze.

"Well, good, because I told you to come find me. I'm a little shocked it took you this long." He shrugged. "Will you stop scowling at me? You're so much prettier when you soften up your features." Her brow only furrowed more at his remark as she glared at him. "Well, whatever."

"Why did you do this to me?!" she demanded, clenching her fingers into tight fists. "Why didn't you just kill me? Why turn me?!" He clucked his tongue and raised one eyebrow as he looked at her, pulling his hands free and crossing his arms.

"Why?" he chuckled. "You want to know why? Because I want you, Aqua." She blinked. Of all the answers she had considered, that hadn't been one of them.

"Wh-"

"Because you're strong, fearless, and freaking gorgeous," he interrupted, answering her question to some extent. "Because you've got such a strong will." His smile grew. "I like a challenge."

"And turning me was your answer?" she inquired. "What was that supposed to do for you? I hate you! I'll tear you apart for- Ah!" Her threat fell short as he suddenly took a stride forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against him, and she looked uncomfortably into his eyes as she shoved back against his chest in some feeble attempt to break free.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked with the same dark smile. "You'll what? You can't resist me, Aqua. And it's not because of my charm or good looks. I _made_ you. You've got the bite to prove it. Deny it all you want- I turned you into what you are now, and because of that, we'll always be connected." Her mind screamed for her to fight back, but her body refused to respond as he kept his gaze locked with hers and his arms tight around her back.

"I'd never..." she argued, but her voice rebelled against her will as well.  
>"Never what?" he asked, his voice dripping as he teased her. "You really think you can believe the lies you're trying to tell yourself?" He somehow pulled her closer and brushed his nose with hers, again making her agonizingly uncomfortable. And yet, she found she had little desire to break away as a shiver passed through her body. "I'll prove you wrong," he said softly, his breath tickling her face. And before she could protest, he forced his lips to hers and melded them together as he held her tightly.<p>

Her mind exploded into all out war as she tried to sort through all the thoughts and sensations going through it. Part of her was horrified by the act, cringed as his fangs scraped against her lower lip, cried out desperately for her body to free itself from his dark embrace. But the other part, the one she apparently had no control over, begged to stay, to remain in this demon's arms for reasons she couldn't begin to comprehend. Whether she wanted them to or not, a soft, squeaky moan escaped her throat and her arms found their way up to hold his back as she angled her face up and tilted it slightly to the side.

"Aqua?!"

The flabbergasted call of her name broke through the haze and brought her back to her senses, and she tore her lips from Vanitas's only to find Ventus staring at them in shock.

"V-Ven!" she stammered as she tried to find her breath. The shock on his face slowly morphed into pain, and he clenched his fists. Though he did not speak, the look in his eyes said it all.

"_How could you...?" _

"Ven! Wait!" she cried as he twisted around and sprinted off, but he didn't turn back, and guilt threatened to crush her as the look of heartbreak on his face etched itself into her mind.

"Talk about a mood killer," Vanitas sighed, calling her attention back to the fact that she was still very much held almost immobile in his embrace, and she finally found the will to struggle against him. Whether she broke free or he released her, she wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't care either. He simply smiled at the hot rage in her eyes as she glared at him, and despite herself, she couldn't contain a quick and pointed hiss.

"I hate you," she growled. "I. _Hate_. You." He chuckled and shook his head, and something in her snapped. She cried out wordlessly and summoned her Keyblade even as she swung it, and the teeth cut across his chest and sent him skidding back with a huff. He hunched over and covered the impacted spot with his hand, but his dark smile remained as he gazed at her.

"All right, all right. I'll let you go for now." He straightened up and stretched, though a split-second wince of pain made his eyelid twitch. "But make no mistake, Aqua. You will be mine." With that, a Dark Corridor erupted from the ground and enveloped him, and it vanished almost as instantly to leave her alone, panting and holding her Keyblade tight in her grip.

It took her several moments to compose herself and calm down enough to straighten up and dismiss her weapon, and her rage slipped back into guilt as she thought of her partner.

"Ven!" she called and took off in the direction he had gone, glancing up at the sky. She could only hope she would find him in the few hours they had before dawn.


	12. Chapter XII: Confession

"Ven!" Aqua called once again as she scoured Radiant Garden for any sign of him, her panic growing as the sky began to lighten to signal that dawn wasn't far off. "Ven, please! Answer me!" With a tight chest, she entered the sewers and navigated her way through the steps and between the pipes until she came to some sort of platform below. "Ven..." she breathed, but he didn't turn around to face her. Instead, he leaned against the railing, staring off into nothing, and he didn't stir as she came to stand a pace or two behind him. "Please, Ven. Let me explain..."

"I should just go to the Master and have him finish me off," he mumbled. "I deserve it after making such a stupid decision."  
>"Ven..." she pleaded. "It's not what you think! I-I don't know what happened..." She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, and he spun around to face her with furious red eyes that struck straight for her heart.<p>

"I thought you said you hated him!" he yelled, his words echoing around the sewers. "What about all that stuff you said about tearing him apart for turning you?!"

"I do hate him!" she insisted. "Please, Ven, you have to listen to me..." He didn't appear to be in any mood to listen.

"Uh huh..." he sighed and turned back to the railing. "'Cause I could totally tell by the way you were _kissing_ him and letting him _hold _you like that." His fingers clenched into tight fists. "And here I thought you needed someone. Here I thought I was helping you by giving up my _soul _so you wouldn't be alone." He let out a quick, harsh laugh. "I'm a moron. No, you're set! You've got that damned Vanitas!"  
>"Ventus!" she cried, breathing heavily, and it seemed she'd finally managed to get his attention. "Please, I'm begging you. Hear me out. He caught me off guard, and something about him... he said it was because he's the one that turned me, so he gains some sort of control over me." She shuddered at the thought. "I wanted to fight him. I really did." His harsh gaze didn't soften, making her feel lower than dirt.<br>"I gave up everything for you!" he said desperately. "You wanna know why I betrayed the master? Why I chose you over Terra? Why I let my _soul _be sealed?" He shook his head. "Why I let my wings burn? I mean, come on, Aqua!" He threw his hands up and started pacing, and she wasn't entirely sure if he was talking to her or just himself. "I would have been okay just being a companion for you since you didn't have anyone else to turn to..." His hands clenched into tight fists. "But I can't... I can't stay if you've already got someone else. Even that bastard who used to call himself my friend." He hissed the last word like it was a bad taste in his mouth. "I could have at least stayed with Terra and the master! You would have been okay and they didn't have to know." He groaned. "I really should just have them kill me," he went on, making her heart jump.

"Ven!" she interrupted. "No... please, don't. I don't want to see them hurt you."

"Or, heck, I've got a Keyblade," he went on, ignoring her. "Stupid heart is only making things worse for me. I'm better off without it. I..." He sighed. "I can't live with this- not pretending I'm okay when you're off with someone else... Damn it, Aqua, I love you! Why do you think I did all this?! Why do you think I lied to the master and almost killed myself for you? Why-" He suddenly stopped, snapping his mouth shut, and stared at her as she stared back in shock. It was some time before he spoke again. "D-Did I just say that out loud?"

"Uh-huh," she said quietly as she nodded slowly, and he bit his lip and looked down uncomfortably.

"Er... you can forget that part," he mumbled. "It's just... I guess I wasn't thinking straight..."

"Ven..." she took several steps toward him. "Do you really mean it?" He looked up shyly. She could imagine how red his face would be were he capable of blushing.

"Yeah," he said after several moments of hesitation. "I love you, Aqua. Or, at least, I think I do..." She looked away for a moment with a crestfallen face.

"No, you don't," she said, and he stared at her. "Not really. That's just my toxin talking... I'm the one that turned you."

"Aqua!" he almost cried, catching her attention again as he approached her. "Weren't you paying attention?" he asked with a small smile. "I asked you to turn me _because _I love you. I mean, all that stuff about being strong enough to fight Xehanort and Vanitas is true too, but..." He looked down again. "I wanted to be with you. And since you couldn't die with me, that left me with the option of living with you. You... The thought of spending eternity with you makes all the sacrifices I have to make more bearable." Again, he snapped his mouth shut for a moment. "But... seriously, forget it. I don't want to make things even worse for you."  
>"Ven..." She took hold of his hand gently. "I... You really love me? Truly?" He nodded and said nothing else. "I'm so sorry... I've done so much to you, brought you so much pain, and yet you put up with all of it for me..." She shook her head. "Please, believe me. The only feelings I have toward Vanitas harbor on hatred... And I'll find a way to fight him."<p>

"I believe you," he replied. "But... tell me honestly, will you? How... How do you feel about me? Seriously, be honest. I just want to know. I'll be okay with us just being friends."

"I... I don't know, Ven," she admitted. "My head and my heart are just... confused. I've got a lot to sort through. But I care about you- you know that." Again, he nodded. "I'll give you an answer. I promise. But I just don't think I can give you a real one right now."

"I understand," he assured her, and she looked up and pulled him a tight embrace that he gladly returned.

"But please, stay with me," she pleaded. "You're right... you're all I have right now. You're the only shred of humanity I still have in me." He pulled her back, his hands on her cheeks as he looked into her eyes.

"That's not true," he said with a smile. "But we'll figure it out, okay? And we'll always be friends. I'll always have your back. And I will gladly help you beat Vanitas."

"Ven..." she mumbled. "You said you used to be friends with him."

"With the real Vanitas," he elaborated. "Not what he's become now. You and I are vampires. He's a pure demon." He shook his head. "I don't know what happened to the boy I used to know back home or if he's still in there, but..." She nodded.

"Then we'll do it for him too. And Xehanort won't be far behind." She took his hand tight in hers and held it close. "And we'll do it for the master... We'll avenge the apprentices he lost." He met her eyes with his own sorrowful gaze as he nodded again.

"I miss the days that the three of us spent together," he admitted. "And... We'll never be able to again, will we?"  
>"I don't think so," she said with a shake of her head. "But you're right: Terra will find others, whether it's in the form of a friend or an apprentice. He can move on." She smiled weakly. "But you and I will always be together, right?"<p>

"Right," he agreed. "Now, let's get rid of the freaks disturbing the peace."


	13. Chapter XIII: Confrontation

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm fully aware this is chapter thirteen. No, the occurrences of this chapter were not intentional for chapter thirteen. It just happened to play out that way.

* * *

><p>The full moon floated up above the horizon and provided its pale light to Radiant Garden, and the city itself was almost silent save Eraqus and Terra's quiet footsteps as they made their way through the streets. Terra armed himself with the Earthshaker and Eraqus held the Master Keeper, and both scanned their surroundings for anything that could possibly be a sign of their targets.<p>

"You said you found them in the reactor, correct?" the Master asked his apprentice quietly.

"Yeah," Terra replied in an equal volume. "They were up on a wall and ambushed us from there. There are several paths that lead there, but it's mostly enclosed. And-" A scream cut him off, and both hunters glanced around quickly for the source.

"Never mind that," Eraqus said quickly and motioned for Terra to follow him closely. They picked up their pace and hurried through the streets until Terra nearly ran into his master after a sudden stop. Sure enough, a man's body lay crumbled in the street, and Eraqus proceeded to inspect him for any signs of life. He shook his head and tilted the victim's head to reveal the small, puncture-like wounds on his neck.  
>"They couldn't have gotten far," Terra pointed out. "We should get going."<br>"Right," Eraqus said as he got back to his feet. "Let's hurry." They did so, heading out and into the gardens of the city until they came to a large fountain, its waters shimmering in the moonlight. The master held his arm out and Terra came to a stop, gripping his Keyblade as he willed his heart to relax. He took a deep breath and held it as he heard a sound from above the walls surrounding them.  
>"Well," a throaty voice chuckled in the darkness. "It's been a long time, my friend." Two silhouettes appeared on the top of the fountain above them, the light of the moon above illuminating their features just enough for Terra to make them out and know where to aim in a fight.<br>"I truly wish I could refer to you that way, Xehanort," Eraqus replied. "Once, I would have gladly called you 'friend.' But you betrayed our master, and look what you've become!" Xehanort chuckled and shook his head.  
>"You foolish man," the demon went on. "I've gained more than you could ever imagine. I rule the darkness! I will live long after you and your apprentice have been planted in the ground." Even from the distance, Terra could see him smiling, and he grit his teeth in anger. "You're just like our master, Eraqus. Anything you think is even slightly dangerous must be destroyed. There is no place for Darkness in the Worlds. And we who live in the night?" He spread his arms and Vanitas grinned darkly. "We're abominations to you despite being living creatures ourselves."<br>"You do not live, Xehanort," Eraqus retorted. "Not anymore." He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing we say to each other now will mean anything. It's time we end this."  
>"Yes, two masters and their apprentices," Xehanort mused, summoning his Keyblade. "Come morning, it will be clear who our master should have favored!" With that, Vanitas dove off the top of the fountain and rushed for the hunters, but Eraqus unleashed a blast of light in his direction that stopped him in his tracks with a grunt as he shielded his eyes.<br>"Terra," the master said in a low voice. "Keep your guard up. I will not lose you tonight."  
>"Understood," Terra replied with a dip of his head. He looked over to find Vanitas clenching his teeth and brushing his cheek with the back of his hand.<br>"Did Xehanort not tell you, Vanitas?" Eraqus asked as the black-haired boy glared at him. "It's not just the sun that will harm you. Your kind doesn't tolerate light."  
>"What, that?" Vanitas scoffed. "That was nothing. I'll show you how it's done!" He swung his Void Gear around, sending a wave of darkness at the hunters, but Eraqus countered it with another blast of light. At that point, Xehanort decided to join them, and Eraqus rushed forward and their Keyblades collided with a loud clang. Terra turned his attention to Vanitas and scowled.<p>

"What have you done to Aqua and Ven?!" he demanded as he charged at the black-haired demon. As he swung his Keyblade, Vanitas disappeared in the shadows and Terra spun around to block the attack coming at his back. The nearly sadistic smile on his opponent's face disturbed him.

"What, you haven't found them yet?" Vanitas taunted. "I'm sure they'll turn up eventually. Though you won't live to see it!" Terra yelled out wordlessly and struck again, this time managing to hit Vanitas hard in the side and sending the boy sprawling.

"Terra!" Eraqus called out in warning, and he leapt back just as a strike of darkness erupted from the ground where he'd been standing a moment before. He hurried over to rejoin his master, panting and sweaty. Xehanort smiled at them and readied his Keyblade once again, and he rushed at Terra before the apprentice could react. The brown-haired youth took several quick hits to his body that knocked his breath away, but Eraqus shoved him away and took the brunt of an icy blast courtesy of his former companion.

Before he had a chance to heave himself to his feet, Terra grit his teeth and collapsed back to the ground as the Void Gear hit him hard in the center of his back. He rolled over and jumped up, pushing off his arms and planting his feet squarely on Vanitas's chest to send him back again. He recovered the Earthshaker and threw it forward, managing to knock his enemy off balance before he rushed over and followed up with another strike. Unfortunately, Vanitas again disappeared and came hurtling down from above, raking his Keyblade's teeth against Terra's chest. He fell again and braced himself against his Keyblade as he tried to stand back up, and Vanitas smiled at him.

"Your heart is sprinting," he said darkly. "You're getting weak. And you hate me- that only makes your blood boil." His smile grew as he readied his battle stance again. "And it's true, I've tasted both Aqua's and Ventus's blood... Maybe it's time I add you to my list!" Terra grit his teeth.

"Damn you!" he cried as he struck forth again, launching himself off his feet at his target. "What did you DO with them?!" Though Vanitas blocked the attack, the pure force behind it still sent him skidding back, and he scowled.

"What does it matter? They're dead to you anyway," he replied.

Time came to a stop. Terra stared at him, wide-eyed and filled with disbelief. Aqua and Ventus were... dead?

"I'll KILL YOU!" he shouted, channeling his grief into rage as he rushed at Vanitas once again. But it seemed his anger also made him sloppy, and Vanitas stepped to the side and spun around to whack Terra hard in the back again.

"That's it, boy!" Xehanort called. "Let your anger flow! Let your rage fuel your strength!" Terra looked up, half dizzy, to find both the master and his apprentice approaching him, and a bit further away, Eraqus was struggling to get back to his feet.

"Control yourself, Terra!" he called out. "Don't let the Darkness take over your heart! Do not let it cloud your mind!"

"Eh, he just needs a little help," Vanitas chided, shooting forth his own darkness once again. Despite his protesting muscles, Terra rolled to the side and struggled back to his feet.

"Master!" He dodged around Xehanort and half ran, half stumbled over to Eraqus, then attempted to help the man back to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Never mind that," Eraqus said quickly as he prepared his Keyblade once again. "Stand and fight!" Terra nodded and narrowed his eyes as Xehanort nodded to his apprentice, and Vanitas again disappeared into the darkness around him before reappearing behind Terra and knocking him away. Terra grit his teeth and wiped the sweat and dirt from his forehead, and blocked Vanitas's next attempt to hit him. Out of the corner of his eye, he found Eraqus struggling against Xehanort's attacks, but the master remained on his feet albeit struggling. And while Terra desperately wanted to hurry over to help him, Vanitas had his attention and wouldn't give it up easily.

"Out of my way!" he snapped, but the golden-eyed boy had no intention of listening as he struck again and forced Terra back several steps. Panting, the youth swung the Earthshaker around and stabbed it forth, connecting with Vanitas's abdomen and sending him back to the ground. Finally, it seemed he'd managed to put a dent in the boy's energy, and he struggled to get back up.

Then, suddenly, a brief grunt of agony sounded, and Terra spun around to find Xehanort removing his Keyblade from Eraqus's chest. The apprentice's mind blanked.

"MASTER!" he cried out as Eraqus fell to his knees, the Master Keeper falling to the ground with a clatter as he gripped his chest, his eyes wide and fading.

"Good bye, my friend," Xehanort said dully, and Terra rushed over and caught his master in his arms just as he fell to the side, gasping as he tried to cling to his life.

"T-Terra..." he said weakly.

"No... No!" Terra begged. "No, Master! Please... Don't go... You're all I've got left." Eraqus's darkening gaze met his as his eyes watered and his throat closed with tears. Despite his injuries, the master forced a weak smile.

"C-Carry on, Terra..." he breathed. "I love you, my son..." His head fell back and he closed his eyes. "Tell Aqua... and Ventus..." Ventus's name came out as a huff more than a word, but Terra blinked back the hot water stinging his eyes.

"M-Master...?" he said weakly. "Master!" Eraqus didn't respond, nor did Terra feel any movement from his body. "Master Eraqus!" He lowered his head as his tears dripped to Eraqus's still chest before he looked up, his eyes blazing, at Xehanort as Vanitas limped to the man's side. "You MONSTER!" Xehanort smirked at him, but dismissed his Keyblade.

"I'll honor my fallen comrade by allowing you a chance to escape," he said shortly. "You're alone, Terra. You have nothing. You are no threat to me now." His smirk grew. "You have failed to protect everyone and everything you care about." The words were like hammers to Terra's head as he held Eraqus's body tight in his arms, and Vanitas suddenly looked up to the top of the fountain.

"Master," he snapped. "Wrap this up. We've got company." Xehanort looked up as well and folded his hands behind his back.

"So we do," he agreed before returning his golden gaze to Terra. "Know this, boy. Next time I see you, you will not walk away." Terra ground his teeth as his tears continued to drip down his cheeks, but he said nothing else and summoned his Keyblade again to open a path to the Lanes Between. Shortly later, he heard some strange cry, but decided against waiting around to see what it was and instead summoned his glider and sped back to the Lanes as best he could while taking Eraqus's body with him. Xehanort smiled darkly as the path closed, then turned his attention to the two newcomers who had appeared at the top of the fountain- and neither looked pleased.

"I-It can't be..." Aqua stammered as Ventus held onto her arm for dear life, and their crimson eyes burned with hatred.

"Your master is dead!" Xehanort called up to them. "And Terra won't be far behind." Ventus shouted and summoned his Keyblade, and he jumped down to their level with Aqua following as he flexed his free hand and his face twisted into an expression of anger, rage, and grief. Vanitas stepped forward with his Void Gear at the ready, but Xehanort pushed him back even as Aqua joined her companion.

"You're heartless," Aqua growled, and Xehanort shook his head.

"You have not yet met the Heartless, girl. And this is not the time for battle. But you'll have your chance soon enough." Ventus yelled again and sprinted forward, but his Keyblade connected with nothing but air as both Xehanort and Vanitas disappeared within a Dark Corridor the master had summoned. Panting, Ventus fell to his knees and gripped the ground beneath him as he allowed his Keyblade to disappear. Aqua approached him and knelt down at his side as he trembled, and he wrapped his arms tight around her as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.


	14. Interlude: Grief

Midnight had come and gone, and Terra sat curled into a ball next to a freshly dug patch of dirt, his face buried in his knees. The Master Keeper was staked into the ground at the head of the patch, and its keychain was now hitched to the apprentice's belt. It was the only thing he could think of to do to keep his master's spirit with him. He felt cold, weak, and alone as he tried to wrap his grieving mind around what had happened: Eraqus, the unshakable master hunter who had taught him everything he knew, was dead. Ventus and Aqua, his friends, comrades, and classmates, were dead. He was alone, and he had failed to protect all of them. He felt weak, guilty, and hopeless. He'd long since exhausted his tears, and he felt agonizingly tired, but he knew if he tried to sleep, his dreams would be plagued by visions of his comrades and the killers he had to stop.

Yet, somehow, he knew he'd need all of his strength the next night. In that thought, he slowly uncurled himself and got to his feet, wiping his eyes before he clenched his fists. His gaze looked over the grave until it came to rest on the Master Keeper.

"I won't fail again," he vowed. "I'll avenge you, Master." He took a deep breath. "I have nothing left... I don't care if they kill me. But I'm taking them with me." He looked down and shook his head, jamming his hands in his pockets. "I'll be with you soon... You, Aqua, and Ven... We can be a family again." He looked up at the stars above the Land of Departure, then back to Eraqus's grave once more before he sighed and turned to trudge away back to the castle, where he would walk the empty halls until, hopefully, sleep came to him.

Once he was away, Ventus and Aqua made their way up the cliff the grave overlooked, and Aqua cupped her hands over her nose and mouth as she observed the Master Keeper. Ventus wrapped his arm around her in some attempt to comfort her, though his own heart was broken just as much as hers was at even the thought of losing their master.

"We should have told them..." she mumbled. "I should have come to him after Vanitas bit me. At least he would have known..."

"He would have killed you," Ventus said in a broken voice. "He would have been quick about it, but..." His arm tightened around her. "I'd rather live this life with you than know he had ended your life. I know he would have meant well, tried to save you, but..." He lowered his head as his breath faltered. "What am I saying? Master..." He lowered his arm and stepped forward, then fell to his knees with his face in his hands as he shook and sobbed. "Master Eraqus!" he wailed and fell forward, his elbows braced against the dirt. "I'm so sorry... I betrayed you! I'm sorry!"

Aqua bit her lip, though the feeling of her fangs against it sickened her and only added to her guilt. She sat down next to her companion and pulled him in against her, resting her cheek against his hair as he gripped the back of her coat desperately and buried his face in her chest.

"He would understand, Ven," she said weakly as she cried in her own way. "You did it for me... He told us to look out for each other." He pulled back and looked into her eyes, his own filled with alarm as he looked back at the castle.

"Terra," he mumbled. "Did you hear what he said? He's gonna go after them... By himself." He turned back to her. "He won't stand a chance, not when he's not thinking straight. They'll kill him..."

"I know," she nodded. "I think it's time we came clean, Ven. Even if it's too late for us, we can still save him."

"Right..." he looked over to the Master Keeper and sat back with a bit of a flop. "I'll die before I let Master Eraqus lose his last apprentice to those monsters."

"Terra has to live," Aqua agreed. "He has to carry on the master's legacy. He's the only one who can." Though she couldn't truly cry, she wiped her eyes out of habit and took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.

"It'll be an interesting reunion," Ventus remarked in some weak attempt at a joke that failed miserably, and he could see the concern Aqua felt written all over her face.

"I think it'll all depend on what he sees first," she breathed. "His missing friends, or a pair of vampires..." This time, it was his turn to pull her in, and he rested his chin on her shoulder as he held her close to him.

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "The only thing that matters is that he survives."

"Mm..." she pulled back and placed her hands against his cheeks as she met his eyes with her own. "No, Ven. Yes, we'll make sure he survives. We'll see Xehanort and Vanitas fall. But..." she smiled weakly. "You and I have an eternity ahead of us, and I don't want to lose it now." His lips parted in a slight gasp as some mix of hope and embarrassment appeared in his eyes.

"Aqua..." he said softly, "D-Do you mean...?"

"I can't lose you," she nearly squeaked and embraced him again. "Not now, not ever..." She took a deep breath and nestled her face in against his shoulder and neck. "I love you, Ventus." Whatever his version of crying began anew as he held her tight.

"T-then we'll get through this," he told her. "All three of us. And you and I will find a way to start a new life..." She moved to kiss his cheek before she pulled back and nodded.

"Right..." She turned her gaze to Eraqus's grave and took a deep breath. "But first, the demons. We'll make you proud, Master... We'll make up for our mistakes." He took her hand in his and nodded before looking up at the stars in the sky.


	15. Chapter XIV: Out of the Darkness

Terra's footsteps were heavy as he made his way through Radiant Garden toward the fountain plaza the following night. He looked up at the nearly full moon as light, wispy clouds passed in front of it. He held his Keyblade in one hand and the Wayfinder Aqua had given him in the other, the Master Keeper's Keychain still attached to his belt. His eyes were sharp with anger and grief as he walked along, his heart dulled from its continuous aching. Eraqus, Aqua, and Ventus had all died because of the monsters he now hunted. He had vowed to avenge them, even if it cost him his life.

He frowned as he passed through the plaza and reached the aqueduct above. He made his way to the center of the open expanse within and stopped, shoving the Wayfinder in his pocket.

"Xehanort!" he yelled, his irate voice echoing through the metal walls and pipes. "Show yourself!"

"As you wish," came a throaty reply. Terra tensed and readied his Keyblade as Xehanort and his apprentice came to the platform he stood on from an incline across from him. The elder demon had a dark smile on his face, one Vanitas mirrored as he grinned with his arms crossed. Both their golden gazes watched Eraqus's remaining apprentice with various levels of taunting, hunger, and confidence.

"Ready for your reunion?" Vanitas chided as he summoned the Void Gear and pointed it at Terra. "Think they'll blame you for their deaths? After all, you-"

"SHUT UP!" Terra interrupted furiously, his heart clenching in his chest with guilt. Vanitas's deadly grin grew as Xehanort clucked his tongue and shook his head.

"You should have run when you had the chance," Xehanort said. "I've run out of patience and mercy to offer you. Tonight, you die." His dark smile returned. "And you will be our feast." With that, he summoned forth his Keyblade and nodded, and Vanitas sprinted forth. A heartbeat later, the Void Gear collided with the Earthshaker and Terra shoved his assailant back, then connected with a quick jump as he brought his Keyblade down hard. He dodged around a shot of darkness from the master and hurried forth, his eyes blazing with hatred as he swung at Xehanort.

"Foolish boy," the demon hissed as he countered Terra's blow and sent him back several steps right into Vanitas's attack at his back. He grit his teeth and ignored the pain in his spine as he spun around and hit Vanitas in the side. He followed up with a stab of his weapon to his target's chest, and Vanitas crumpled to the ground, stunned and dazed.

"Very good," Xehanort said, catching his attention once more. "Channel your rage into strength! Don't you see? Your anger can become your power! Fan the flames within you and embrace the darkness in your heart!" Vanitas attempted to huff some retort or other, but failed.

"Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!" Terra snarled. "You'll pay for what you've done to my family! I am gonna END YOU!" He cried out and struck for Xehanort once again, but Xehanort nimbly sidestepped and slashed at him with his Keyblade. Terra grunted and bowed to the side, and Xehanort blasted him with darkness that paralyzed his body and sent him to the ground. He struggled against the pain in his body as he tried to stand, mentally swearing as he saw Vanitas finally get back to his feet out of the corner of his eye.

"Such strength," Xehanort mused as he came to stand over his fallen opponent. "So much potential, wasted. You have the power to end this, Terra. Open your heart to the darkness! Only then will you be able to strike down your enemies. Without it, you have nothing." Terra only continued to lay there as he tried to collect himself, struggling against his anger as he felt darkness flickering around him.

"Master," he mumbled.

"Eraqus was a fool to hold you back," Xehanort went on coldly. "Make your choice! Accept the darkness within you or die!" Terra clenched his jaw and shoved himself up as best he could, turning his fierce gaze on the master.

"I'll never betray the Master!" he snapped. "I fight for Light!"

"Wrong choice," Vanitas said flatly, and he struck Terra hard in the back. Eraqus's apprentice fell to the ground once again, the breath driven from his lungs, and he gasped sharply as he tried to refill them.

"You'll be with your master soon," Xehanort said darkly as he pointed his Keyblade down at Terra and lifted it into the air. Terra clenched his eyes shut, stopping the hot water stinging them from escaping as he prepared for his end.

"Terra!"

At the sound of Xehanort's Keyblade hitting something other than him, he peaked out to find a barrier around him. He heard Vanitas grunt and the black-haired demon stumbled back, brow furrowed as he glared at whatever had struck him. Once the barrier had faded, Terra braced himself against the Earthshaker and forced himself back to his feet, and it took him a bit of time to process what he was now seeing before him, standing at the ready between him and his enemies with their backs turned to him.

"A-Aqua?!" he nearly choked. "Ven!" But… they were dead. And yet here they stood, defending him from the master that had nearly taken his life. They turned their heads to each other briefly and Aqua nodded. Ventus took another step forward with the Wayward Wind at the ready and Aqua lifted Rainfell into the air as a soft green light shone around it. Terra's exhaustion evaporated from his muscles, though he could still feel a dull ache in his body. But it wasn't strong enough to keep him from fighting, and he rushed forth to stand between his friends for the first time in months.

"Let's finish this, Terra," Ventus said, and Terra turned to him and nodded. He frowned, however, as the blond-haired youth refused to look at him, instead keeping his gaze locked on Xehanort and Vanitas. He looked over to Aqua to find she was doing the same, and he couldn't see either of their faces. He looked up to the demons as well and blinked as he found them both with amused glints in their eyes, and Vanitas's grin was as mad as ever.

"Hmph," Xehanort chuckled. "So you decided to show yourselves. I must say I was unsure whether your shame would keep you away."

"Nothing will stop us from protecting our friend," Aqua replied coldly. "Our interests are the same, Xehanort. We will destroy you both!"

"Now that's not very nice," Vanitas shrugged and stepped toward her, and- to Terra's shock- Ventus sprinted between them and hissed at him sharply. Vanitas only laughed and held his free hand up as he took a step back.

"Uh… Ven?" the brunette apprentice baffled, and Ventus still refused to look at him.

"Feeling possessive, huh?" Vanitas wondered as he glanced between Ventus and Terra. "I guess that makes sense. She IS the one that turned you!"

Terra blinked, and the world fell silent around him save the echo of the black-haired apprentice's words in his head. Slowly, he stepped forward and, while keeping his Keyblade pointed toward Xehanort and Vanitas, looked at Aqua's face. She dropped her gaze as he gaped at her, her red eyes and her impossibly pale skin.

"No…" he breathed and turned to see Ventus with the same features. "No. This… This can't be."

"Terra," Aqua said firmly as she looked up to meet his gaze, and his heart dropped as he looked into her eyes. "Listen to me. I know you're confused. You're hurting. And I'm sorry we hid from you for so long. But right now, you need to see us as your friends."

"We're going to put an end to this," Ventus agreed, and Terra turned to him again. "The three of us together as one. We'll avenge the Master."

"But…" Terra clenched his teeth and lowered his head, gripping his hair with his free hand as he growled briefly. This wasn't right. This couldn't have happened. Not to them. "You're right," he finally sighed as he looked back up. "Xehanort! Vanitas! Tonight, you fall! You'll never haunt this or any world ever again."

"Uh huh," Vanitas said bluntly. "And what about your 'friends' there? What'll you do with them?"

"Enough!" Aqua snapped and cast a burst of fire magic at him, and Ventus sprinted forward and threw his Keyblade at Xehanort before he had a chance to set his defenses. The master smiled at him and shot forth an orb of darkness, but Ventus rolled out of the way and retrieved his Keyblade. Meanwhile, Terra clenched his free hand into a fist and ran at Xehanort as well, thrusting the Earthshaker forward and opening a hole in his target's defenses for Ventus to slip in and rake the Wayward Wind's teeth across him. Xehanort grunted and retreated several paces, and darkness erupted from where he had been standing a moment before. Eraqus's apprentices scrambled back as Vanitas leapt up from within it and slashed the Void Gear at them.

"Come on," Aqua beckoned as she joined the boys. "Let's end this." She cast a spell of blizzard magic and Terra rushed in to hit Vanitas hard, and as he stumbled with panic forming in his eyes, Ventus narrowed his eyes and pointed the Wayward Wind at him. Vanitas's eyes widened and he let out a brief cry as the light from the Keyblade pierced his chest, and he fell to his knees before collapsing on the metal floor beneath him and darkness rippled in the air around him.

"Hm…" Xehanort mused as he observed his apprentice from near the incline on the other side of the platform. "It seems I have no further use for you." He lifted his golden gaze to the trio Eraqus once trained. "Eraqus should be proud of you three."

"Wait!" Terra sprinted forth as a Dark Corridor opened behind the master, but Aqua grabbed his arm and pulled him back. With that, Xehanort vanished, and Terra wrenched his arm from her grip as he panted and turned to her with a furious look in his eyes. "Why'd you let him get away?!"

"Because if you followed him, he would have killed you!" she nearly cried. "Terra, please. You have to live. You have to carry on the Master's legacy."

"Hmph," Terra's gaze softened, though his irritation remained. "First, what the hell happened to you? How… How did this happen?" He gestured to her briefly, and she looked down.

"Nngh…" A groan caught the apprentices' attention and they found Vanitas trying to shove himself back up, bracing himself on his arms. The three readied their Keyblades once again. "What…" The black-haired demon shook his head and looked up at Ventus. The blond-haired youth nearly dropped his Keyblade and his eyes widened as he found eyes of red, not gold, watching him with fear and guilt. "Ventus?"

"Vanitas?" he replied carefully, lowering the Wayward Wind. Vanitas managed to sit up and looked down at his hands as horror overtook his face.

"What… What happened to me?" He looked up. "I… By God, what have I done?!" He curled over and braced his elbows against the ground, trembling. "Ventus, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I hurt you… I never met for this to happen." He punched the ground weakly. "Damn that old man…"

Aqua slowly made her way to Ventus's side, watching their fallen opponent carefully as her companion stepped closer to her. Terra, meanwhile, stayed where he was as he observed them, confused, angry, and hurt. Vanitas looked up again and flinched as he saw Aqua staring at him.

"I…" He looked down again and lowered himself back to the ground. "I know you'll never forgive me, Aqua, but I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never would have… But the darkness…" He shook his head as he tried to catch his breath again, still shaking weakly. Aqua and Ventus exchanged a quick look, and Ventus dismissed his Keyblade before stepping over and kneeling down in front of Vanitas.

"Xehanort turned you, right?" Vanitas nodded, but didn't look up. "And he pushed you to darkness…" Ventus shook his head lightly. "I knew that wasn't the real you. Scary what darkness can do to people…" Vanitas's hand thrust out and grabbed hold of Ventus's sleeve desperately as he raised his head with pleading eyes.

"Please forgive me, Ventus," he begged. "I never met for any of this to happen! I hate what I've become, I hate what I did to you, to Aqua, and… your master…" He fell silent, and no one spoke for some time. Ventus lowered his head in thought for a moment, then got to his feet and held out his hand.

"Maybe we can find a way for you to redeem yourself," he said gently, and Vanitas met his gaze hesitantly before taking his hand and getting back to his feet, though his legs trembled under his weight and he fell against his aide. Ventus helped him straighten up again and looked over his shoulder to Aqua. "What do you think? I… know things aren't exactly smooth between you two." She gazed at him, fidgeting, before sighing softly and nodding.

"Darkness twists people into unrecognizable forms," she said. "But if your heart was strong enough to be freed from it, you deserve a chance to prove it." She paused. "BUT… If you step out of line in any way at all, it'll be the end of you." Relief flooded into Vanitas's eyes, and he even smiled weakly as he dipped his head to her.

"Thank you, Aqua," he breathed as she approached him. "I'm done with all this darkness and plotting." She nodded again and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to help support him.

But, before they could do anything else, he let out a grunt and bowed forward, his eyes impossibly wide as he fell, and he collapsed once more as a light shone from the center of his upper back. From within that light appeared a heart, and as it rose into the air, it faded into nothing, leaving his body motionless on the ground.

"Good riddance," Terra muttered as he withdrew his Keyblade, earning shocked stares from Ventus and Aqua. "I can't believe you! Either of you! After everything he's done, you were just going to let him walk away? He's killed innocent people! He's part of the reason the Master is dead!" He suddenly fell silent, dismissing his Keyblade and clenching his fists. "Or are you two really so far gone that you can't see the truth in front of you?"

"Terra," Aqua said softly, but fell silent under his sharp gaze.

"Is it true?!" he demanded. "Did you turn Ven?"

"I asked her to!" Ventus snapped defensively as he stepped between them, and Terra stared at him in stunned silence.

"What?!" he finally almost bellowed, but Ventus stood his ground with defiance in his eyes.

"Vanitas turned her and I didn't want her to have to face life alone," he explained curtly. "And I knew I wouldn't be able to fight Xehanort unless I did this. They would have killed me, Terra. You know that." Terra didn't reply immediately, but only panted slightly as he glared at his former allies.

"So you both betrayed the Master and everything he taught us," he said in a low voice and shook his head. "I… I can't believe this." He let out a heavy sigh, but didn't say anything else for a while. "So, now what? Where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked, her gaze filled with guilt and pleading as she made her way to Ventus's side. Terra took a deep breath and crossed his arms.

"I mean you two are… Well, you know what you are." He shut his eyes and sighed again softly. "But you're also my friends… And you did save my life." He opened his eyes and looked over them both. "Look, I'll make you a deal. Don't draw attention to yourselves. Don't do anything stupid, and… I'll turn a blind eye to you. But if I catch you out hunting, or if you do anything to convince me you've lost touch with who you were, I'll treat you like any other demon out there."

"Terra," Ventus mumbled, but after a moment, he nodded. "Thank you." Terra turned his head, digging his fingers into his arms as he tried to hold back his grief.

"Just go," he replied flatly. Aqua walked over to him and he stiffened, and he let out a grunt of surprise when she pulled him in and wrapped her arms around him.

"We'll always be your friends, Terra," she said gently in a fractured voice. "Please, be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you." He hesitated before hugging her tightly, and his tears began to fall.

"You too," he managed to say. "I… I'm sorry this happened to you." He pulled her back and glanced over to Ventus, finding a melancholy gaze watching him. "Take care of each other. But seriously, go." Aqua returned to Ventus's side and they both nodded. A moment later, they left the aqueduct and disappeared into the night.


	16. Chapter XV: Escape

Ten years had not dulled Ventus's adoration of looking at the same face every night, even if they'd been spent living in a cave. He smiled softly as the moon's light partially streamed into their home, gently illuminating Aqua's still sleeping pale face. His eyes slowly looked over her features, her eyelashes resting slightly above her cheeks, the way a lock of her blue hair swept down along her nose, the brief parting of her lips as she shifted slightly. Eternity was a gift if he got to spend it with this woman, and he looked forward to every night with her.

He silently got to his feet and tip-toed over to the cave's mouth, peaking out into the still night air to see the moon slowly rising over the Land of Departure. He turned back to his partner and lay down again next to her, his smile growing playfully. He rested his arm around her waist and shifted a bit closer to her, then gently bit her neck. A brief and soft gasp told him she'd woken up, and he braced himself up on his free arm to meet her affectionate- albeit slightly annoyed- gaze. He only laughed at the sight of her raising one eyebrow and leaned in to kiss her, to which she responded by wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Good evening," he chuckled once she had released his lips.

"Mm…" she grumbled as she sat up and wiped her eye. "Night already?" She fell back again with a plop, resting her forearm over her eyes. "What are you so happy about?" She asked as she peaked out to find him sitting next to her with a grin plastered on his face.

"There's somewhere I want to take you," he replied, earning her acute attention. "I think we're due for a date night, don't you?" She smiled and shook her head lightly. "Or at least a night of humanity," he added a bit darkly.

"What do you have in mind?" she wondered as she ran her fingers through her hair in some attempt to tame it down a bit. He only grinned and brought his finger up to his lips.

"You'll just have to see when we get there!" he said. "But you'll love it. I know it." She sat up again and smiled softly at him, nodding. They both dressed themselves quickly and retrieved their coats and armor, and he opened a path to the Lanes Between and their destination as she came to stand behind him, wrapping her arms gently around his waist.

"Whatever it is, I look forward to it," she told him, her breath tickling his ear, and he grinned again. They equipped their armor and took off into the Lanes, and he led the way to a world they visited rather rarely: a place called Destiny Islands.

Once they reached the world and landed on the beach of the mainland, they dismissed their armor and he turned to her with a bright smile as he rested his arms behind his head. She glanced around the beach and her ears picked up the sound of people talking and laughing along with music. She followed the sound to find the glow of fire a short distance away and the shapes of figures in the night heading toward it. A smile spread on her face as Ventus offered his arm, and she took it before they both headed toward the commotion.

"What's all this?" she asked as they arrived to see the burning torches, the colorful lanterns and banners, and all the tropical flowers decorating the square near the beach.

"A festival," Ventus replied. "A celebration of summer, from what I've heard. I caught wind of it last time I was here." He released her arm and stepped around to face her, offering his hand with the other arm bent behind his back. "Care to dance?" Affection filled her eyes and she took his hand, and the two made their way to join the locals prancing and spinning around next to a group of musicians, with string and wind instruments along with soft percussion on a few small drums. He kept his eyes locked with hers as they began to dance, a smile on his face that she mirrored. Beyond the supposed warmth he felt in his chest along with his happiness that they could enjoy this time, it was a tactic he'd adopted to help him ignore the ever-present scent of blood and the sound of so many beating hearts. As far as he was concerned, it was a win-win situation.

Aqua let out a content sigh as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, and he wrapped his arm a bit further around her waist to pull her closer. This, with the beautiful music and sound of laughter from children and adults alike in the warm glow of the torches and stars twinkling overhead, was probably as close as he would be able to get to heaven.

"I love you," he said softly, and her eyes opened to meet his as she smiled warmly.

"I love you too, Ven," she replied. "Thank you so much for bringing me here. It's wonderful."

"I'm glad you like it." He nuzzled her nose with his briefly, earning a soft laugh.

He let out an irritated grunt as a boy bumped into him, shoving him slightly and briefly throwing off his balance. Both he and Aqua turned to stare at the boy, who stared back with an intense, light blue gaze partially obscured by his silver hair. He crossed his arms over his sleeveless yellow shirt as his eyes narrowed.

"Uh, can we help you?" Ventus asked, and the boy scowled at them.

"Don't think you can hide from me," he replied sourly. "I don't want to cause a scene and I doubt do either. So get out of my town and away from my home."

"Just what makes you think you can speak to us like this?" Aqua demanded, and as she took a step toward him, he stiffened and lowered his arms to his sides in the beginnings of a defensive stance.

"Because I know you two are monsters," he spat, and both Ventus and Aqua stared at him with a flicker of panic.

"Excuse me?" Aqua asked.

"Don't play dumb with me. Now leave before I make you leave!"

"Okay," Ventus growled and started toward the boy. "I don't know who you think you are, but-" But Aqua grabbed his shoulder and stopped him, and she shook her head when he turned back to face her.

"Come on," she sighed. "I don't know what he's talking about, but he's right about one thing: I'd rather he not cause a scene. Let's just go." Ventus nodded slowly, but as they departed, he cast a glare over his shoulder at the boy, who kept his gaze on them until they had all but vanished in the darkness covering the beach. Once they were alone and the sounds of the festival had died off, Aqua let out another heavy sigh and Ventus pulled her into a gentle hug.

"I'm so sorry about that," he said flatly. "But… Do you really think he knew about us?"

"He seemed awfully sure of himself," she replied. "I don't know how, but… It's possible." He released her and looked down at the sand, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey." She tucked her hand under his chin and lifted his face toward hers with a smile, though he could see her disappointment and confusion in her eyes. "It's not your fault, Ven. And other than that, it was still a nice evening."

"Still," he sighed softly and pulled her hand away. "Look, I'm sorry, Aqua. But I need some time alone to cool off. I'll see you back home." Concern became apparent in her face as she observed him, but she nodded slightly.

"Not that I think you will, but… Promise me you won't hurt that boy." He gave her a reassuring smile, though it was weak.

"You know I'm better than that," he reminded her. "Besides, I'm not about to just prove him right. I just need a chance to take a breather."

"Alright." She kissed his cheek and took his hand in hers briefly. "Be careful, okay? I'll see you soon." He nodded, and she summoned her Keyblade. A moment later, she'd equipped her armor and left for the Lanes Between, and he sighed again as he looked back down at the sand and kicked it slightly.

"One night," he muttered as he started walking with no particular destination in mind. "I just wanted one night for us to be normal, have fun, forget some of the bad stuff for a while…" He looked up at the stars above. "Is that so much to ask? One night to be human again?" The sky yielded no answers for him, and he frowned as he looked down again.

"Hey!" he heard a voice call. "Excuse me!" He turned around and found a different boy than before running across the sand toward him, spiky brown hair rustling in the wind. He stumbled to a halt and braced his hands against his knees as he panted, his crown necklace glinting in the moonlight.

"Uh, are you okay?" Ventus asked, trying to ignore the sound of this boy's heavily beating heart. The boy raised his hand and nodded as he caught his breath, and let out a whoosh of air as he straightened up and stretched.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied with a smile, his blue eyes friendly. "Sorry for the yelling, but I didn't know how else to catch your attention. I'm Sora." Ventus blinked as Sora rested his hands behind his head casually, tilting his head to the side. "You… had a run-in with my friend Riku back at the festival? I wanted to apologize for him. He's not usually so hostile."

"No harm done," Ventus said. "Thanks, though."

"So, uh," Sora went on. "You new to the island? I don't think I've seen you around before. What's your name?"

"Ventus. Call me Ven."

"Alright," Sora grinned. "Nice to meet you, Ven. It's nice to meet another boy around my age." Ventus stifled a chuckle and fought against the amused smile trying to form on his face. Every now and again, he forgot that people who looked at him saw a sixteen-year-old boy, even if he'd been around quite a bit longer.

"Is that right?" he asked, his voice much lighter now. "How old are you?"

"I'll be fifteen in a couple of months. Hey," Sora's grin grew. "I know this is totally out of left field, but do you know anything about sparring or swordplay? Riku's gotten REALLY good lately for some reason and I'm falling behind."

"Heh," Ventus laughed. "Yeah, I know a thing or two. And I think a blow or two to your friend's ego would be good for him."

"Maybe," Sora laughed as well and shrugged. "I don't get it. He keeps disappearing some days and won't tell me where he's going. But he's been acting weird." He shook his head. "Sorry, you don't even know him. Don't know why I'm boring you with all this. Anyway, maybe you could teach me some stuff!" Ventus's warm smile finally returned as he nodded.

"Sure, Sora. But I'm tougher than I look!" he warned.

"Perfect!" Sora replied. "Well, my parents aren't expecting me back for a while longer. You see that island out there?" He pointed to a small island among the silver waves a short distance from the mainland. "A lot of my friends and I head there almost every day. Wanna check it out? We've got some wooden swords and stuff stashed away there."

"Alright," Ventus nodded. "Lead the way, Sora. I'll be happy to teach you what I can." Sora grinned and headed off at a decently quick pace toward a dock a bit of the way down the beach, and Ventus followed a few paces behind him.

_You've got a strong heart, Sora, _he thought with a smile on his face. _Maybe I can pass on more than just a move or two. _


	17. Chapter XVI: To the Next Generation

Both Ventus and Sora took a small rowboat out to the islet, arriving at another dock connecting to the beach there. Once they disembarked, Ventus scanned around the islet until his gaze found an odd tree growing from another tiny islet connected to the one they'd landed on by a bridge. He walked toward it with Sora glancing curiously at him until he was close enough to see it clearly.

_"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit,"_ he recalled Aqua once telling him and Terra. _"And the fruit represents an unbreakable connection."_ He smiled as he pulled out the Wayfinder she had given him, one of a set of three, from his pocket. _"So long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart." _His smile faded as he pondered her words, and he lowered his head as his fingers closed around the Wayfinder.

_Wishful thinking, _he sighed inwardly. _You and I may share that connection, Aqua, but Terra… _It seemed there was a way to drive them apart, even with the magic she'd worked on the Wayfinders. He looked back up at the tree and the fruit growing from it.

"Checking out the Paopu Tree?" Sora asked as he came to stand at Ventus's side.

"Guess so," Ventus replied with a nod. "Is that what it's called?"

"Yeah." Sora smiled. "There's a legend that says if two people share a Paopu Fruit, their destinies are intertwined. No matter what happens, they'll always be a part of each others' lives."

"Huh…" Ventus mused. "Have you ever shared one with anybody?" A blush formed on Sora's face.

"No, but I'll admit there's someone I want to with…" He shook his head somewhat vigorously and looked back at the large tree behind the beach and the spring pooling next to it. "Anyway, I'll be right back." He headed back to a bunch of foliage near the tree and pushed through it to reach a small cave entrance. Ventus turned his attention back to the Paopu Tree and smiled slightly as he put his Wayfinder back in his pocket.

A moment later, Sora returned with two basic wooden swords in hand. He held one out to Ventus, who took it and flipped it into his usual reverse grip. Sora eyed him curiously and they both took their battle stances.

"Show me what you've got," Ventus challenged, and Sora grinned. The brown-haired boy swung his sword forth, and Ventus blocked it and countered with a broad slash. Sora stumbled but quickly righted himself and lunged at his opponent, and Ventus took the blow to gage Sora's strength. He was modestly strong, likely able to make an ordinary target flinch. Unfortunately, Ventus was anything but ordinary, and he struck Sora with several quick blows. The boy let out a huff and fell back into the sand. Despite his almost humiliating loss, he laughed wholeheartedly and laid back in defeat.

"Wow! I figured you were tough, but dang! How do you do all that?" he asked, grinning as he tossed his sword to the side and sat up. Ventus smiled as well and straightened up.

"I've had a lot of training," he replied. "I've got a lot more up my sleeve." He paused and held his hand out, and Sora took it and pulled himself to his feet.

"Woo!" He withdrew his hand once he was up and flexed his fingers a bit. "Dang, your hands are COLD." A brief twinge of panic shot through Ventus's body, but he refused to let it show and instead simply shrugged it off.

"Dunno why," he said. "Sorry about that."

"Eh, it's fine. Anyway," he tipped his head curiously. "What kind of training? Ventus frowned briefly, though it softened quickly.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked, and Sora nodded. Ventus smiled and set the wooden sword in the sand, then walked over to the edge of the beach where the waves lapped against his shoes. "I'm part of a much bigger world, Sora. And you can be too." He pointed to the sky, and Sora craned his neck to look up. "You see all those stars up there? Every one of them is the light of another world shining down on us. But they're closed off from each other to protect themselves." He turned back around to face the boy. "I'm one of a few people that not only know about what lies beyond one world, but has the ability to travel between them. With this." He lifted his hand and summoned forth the Wayward Wind.

"Whoa…" Sora marveled, stepping closer and looking over the weapon. "What is this?"

"It's a Keyblade," Ventus replied. "One of the most powerful objects known to the worlds, but also one of the most dangerous. It can bring about salvation… or destruction. Protect the worlds or harm them. And it all comes back to Heart."

"Heart?" Sora echoed.

"Yes," Ventus nodded. "Not just anyone can wield a Keyblade. It takes a strong heart to be able to wield one. And I think you've got what it takes." Sora's eyes brightened and an excited smile formed on his face.

"Really?" he asked, giddy. "You think I could?"

"I do," Ventus agreed with a smile. "But you have to understand that this is a HUGE responsibility. Keyblades are dangerous if not used correctly. But if you're willing to take on that responsibility, then I'll be glad to train you on how to use it and what it means to be a Key Bearer. And who knows? Maybe you'll even be able to call yourself a Master someday."

"I understand," Sora said with a nod. "I'll listen to anything you have to teach me."

"Alright." Ventus flipped his Keyblade into a normal grip and dropped his grip down to its shaft, holding the handle out to Sora. "'In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.'" After a moment's hesitation, Sora took hold of the Keyblade's handle, and Ventus's smile grew. The boy released it a heartbeat later and Ventus dismissed it.

"So, now what?" Sora wondered.

"With some training and practice, you'll eventually be able to summon your own," Ventus explained. "Just be patient." He looked up at the moon slowly creeping through the sky. "Now, it's getting late. You should probably get home before you're missed, huh? And remember, don't tell anyone about this. Gotta protect the world order and all that."

"Right," Sora nodded. "Uh, so when should we meet next?"

"How about back here just after sunset?" Ventus asked, and Sora grinned.

"Sure," he agreed. "I guess it's easier to be secretive at night, huh?"

"Exactly." It wasn't a total lie, even if he was leaving out a few other details. "So I'll see you back here tomorrow night, then."

"Uh, don't you need a ride back to the mainland?" Sora wondered, pointing back at their boat, and Ventus shrugged.

"Nah, I'm good. Now get going!" He shoved Sora lightly, earning a laugh.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Ven! Or do I have to call you 'Master Ventus' now?" Ventus laughed as well and shook his head.

"Just 'Ven' is fine." With that, Sora waved and headed back to his boat, and Ventus watched as he disappeared around the island, bound for the mainland. He looked back to the Paopu Tree and then up to the sky, his arms crossed lightly. "I suppose I should be getting home," he thought aloud. A few moments later, he had entered the Lanes Between and sped back toward the Land of Departure.

Once he had returned home, he found Aqua sitting on the edge of their usual spot at the summit near the castle Terra called home, gazing at the stars. She smiled and waved once she spotted him, and he landed on the summit and dismissed his armor.

"There you are," she greeted as the two approached each other, and he stretched up slightly to give her a quick kiss. "You seem to be feeling better."

"Yeah, well…" Ventus grinned and shrugged. "I met a boy named Sora. And I gave him the Keyblade." Aqua's brow rose, though she didn't appear to be upset.

"You found a successor?" she asked, and he nodded. "Ven, that's great! You think he'll succeed as a wielder?"

"He's got a strong heart filled with light," he agreed. "And at least for now, I'm going to train him as best I can." He walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked up at the stars, then to the castle. "I may not be human, but I'm still a Keyblade wielder. It's still my duty to make sure it gets passed onto the next generation along with the same teachings the Master passed onto us." Aqua came to stand at his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"I wonder what Terra would think if he knew," she said, echoing his thoughts.

"I'd give him the same explanation I just gave you," he replied with a shrug. "I'll train him at night- He thinks it's just to help keep everything a secret, and it kind of is. Even if I left out some stuff."

"Mm," she nodded and turned to him. "You think you can train him without slipping up?"

"I'm going to try," he assured her with a smile, though it faded. "I think I need this, Aqua. It's a way for me to… well, to do something as me. The way I was before." She nodded and kissed his forehead.

"I understand, Ven. Just… be careful, okay? I trust you- I really do. But others may not be so willing to let you do this." He glanced back at the castle and sighed, lowering his head.

"Things were so much less complicated before Xehanort," he muttered. "But don't worry, Aqua. I'll be damned before I hurt Sora. And Terra can deal with it- I'm not doing anything outside our agreement or whatever we made." She nodded again. "But… I hate having to treat him like an enemy. I wish we could all just be friends again." At that, he raised his head and his eyes lit up. "Oh, that reminds me!" He pulled his Wayfinder from his pocket, and she smiled at the sight of it. "Remember how you said these were based on a star-shaped fruit? It's called a Paopu Fruit. It's native to Destiny Islands."

"You… You actually found it?" she asked, and he grinned. She smiled brightly as well and placed her hands on his arms. "Ven, that's amazing! I… So it's true. Or at least the legend is real." She hugged him in her excitement, and he laughed as he returned it.

"Sora told me that the locals have another legend about it. Supposedly, if two people share a Paopu Fruit, their destinies are intertwined and they'll always be a part of each others' lives." He pulled her back to meet her gaze, though he kept his hands loosely on her waist. "I… thought about bringing one back for you and me, but I don't think we need it. You're stuck with me for eternity." She giggled softly and shook her head lightly.

"And you're stuck with me," she replied. "Always." He smiled and kissed her again, entwining his fingers with hers and wrapping his other arm around her waist.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>**: **I'll be the first to admit I'm glad I can finally write some shameless shipping of my OTP.

Anywho, expect more of Sora and Riku in coming chapters.


	18. Chapter XVII: Invitation

About a week had passed since Ventus took Sora on as his apprentice, and he'd spent most of it explaining the nature and history of Keyblades to the best of his ability, emphasizing the effect they had on the heart and the ability they possessed to steal one. Sora listened intently, but grew restless from almost nothing but history lessons and wanted nearly desperately to dive into the combat aspect of his training. After watching the boy fidget while he tried to explain the division between worlds for a while, Ventus smiled and shook his head.

"Okay, okay, that's enough for now," he said as Sora sat in the sand, his eager eyes reflecting the moonlight. The boy grinned and hopped to his feet.

"Can you teach me some moves now?" he asked, and Ventus nodded. "Awesome!" He hurried to the cave at the back of the island and returned a moment later with his wooden sword, and Ventus summoned his Keyblade. "So when am I actually gonna get a Keyblade?"

"That's really not up to me," his teacher replied. "Sorry, Sora. Your Keyblade will come to you when you're ready to wield it." He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Even after all the stuff I've told you, there's still a lot we don't really understand about how these things work. Some people get their Keyblades almost immediately. Others take years of training." Sora's crestfallen face at this bit of information almost made him laugh. "Don't worry. I doubt that'll be the case for you. You have a REALLY strong heart, so you'll probably get it soon."

"I wonder what it'll look like," Sora mused, but shook his head and readied his wooden sword with a challenging smile on his face. Ventus launched himself forward and leapt into the air, bringing his Keyblade down somewhat hard. He had to monitor his own strength just as much as, if not more than, Sora's to assure he didn't actually hurt the boy. Sora stumbled and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Think you can manage something like that?" Ventus asked lightly. "The strength of that move comes from the impact itself. Use the force of gravity to your advantage." He turned to the side and demonstrated the move again with no particular target, then turned back to his student.

"So…" the boy mused. "Like… this?" He stepped back and brought his wooden sword down to the side, then took a quick step forward and leapt into the air. Ventus blocked the strike with his Keyblade, but had to admit he was impressed by the force Sora had managed to put into it.

"Very good," he said with a smile and a nod. "But there's more to it than just attacking." He swung his Keyblade to the side and managed to knock Sora back several steps. "A move like that leaves you wide open if you either don't connect with it or you're facing an opponent that can recover quickly." To his surprise, Sora struck for him again and managed to catch him off guard, and Ventus laughed. "That's more like it!"

"Wow, you didn't even flinch," Sora groaned. "I've got a long way to go."

"Don't forget that I've been at this longer than you," Ventus reminded him. "I've gotten my share of bumps and bruises." He scratched the back of his head and smiled. "A friend and classmate of mine is the strongest guy I know. Even when he's holding back, he still packs a punch."

"Does he have a Keyblade too?" Sora wondered, and Ventus nodded. "Cool. How many people do you know that have one?"

"We're pretty rare, as I've told you before. I mean, right now, I know of myself, him, and my… I guess my girlfriend?" Sora's eyes brightened with curiosity.

"Didn't know you had a special girl!" he teased. "What's her name? What's she like?"

"Her name's Aqua," Ventus said with a smile. "And like I said, she's a Keyblade wielder like me. And she's really talented in magic."

"Magic?" Sora echoed, and Ventus raised his Keyblade and shot a small blast of Fire magic toward the horizon. His apprentice stared after it, awestruck. "Whoa." He turned back to Ventus giddily. "Am I gonna learn how to do that?"

"Once you actually get your Keyblade, I don't see why not. Maybe I'll even bring Aqua by to teach you some stuff."

"That'd be cool," Sora agreed with a grin. "I'd love to meet her. Oh!" He snapped his fingers and glanced over to the rowboat by the dock. "Speaking of meeting people… My mom and dad want to meet you." This bit of information was news to Ventus, and he turned to stare at Sora.

"Excuse me?" was all he could think of to say.

"I guess I haven't been as sneaky as I thought when I've been leaving at night," Sora admitted sheepishly. "And my dad caught me before I came over here tonight. I told him I was out seeing a friend and kind of told them about you."

"But not about the Keyblade, right?" Ventus asked a bit quickly.

"No, no, of course not!" Sora replied. "And Dad said he's not totally against me being out at night, but he and my mom want to meet you and… I guess clear you or something. Make sure you're not some creepy guy or whatever." He frowned. "Can't blame them, I suppose."

"No, I guess not," Ventus said as he crossed his arms. "Alright, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for me to meet them and put their minds at rest."

"Great!" Sora said, his grin returning. "They said I should invite you over for dinner tomorrow. I told them about your sensitivity to sunlight, so they said they would expect you just after sunset."

"That's very kind of them," Ventus remarked. "Alright. Dinner sounds nice." Even if it had been years since he'd tasted actual food and it did nothing to sustain him or give him any nutrition.

"Awesome! And I'm sure they'll like you once they actually meet you."

"I hope so," Ventus chuckled. "Otherwise training you is going to be a lot harder."

"Hey, hey." Sora stepped over to him and slung his arm around his shoulders. "They'll like you. No doubt about it. I mean, you're so level-headed and all that. Hard to believe you're only sixteen!" Ventus laughed and shrugged him off.

"I get that a lot. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun!" He shoved Sora and the blue-eyed boy grinned at him with a challenging glint in his eye, and he retrieved his wooden sword. Ventus eyed him and summoned his Keyblade again, and the two quickly struck for each other. The Wayward Wind left a dent in the wooden sword's supposed blade, and Sora sighed softly as he looked at it.

"You know…" Ventus began as he observed his apprentice's crestfallen face. "I used to train with something similar to that before I really started using my Keyblade when I trained under my master. Aqua pointed out that every nick and dent in it was proof that I was learning. It's the same with you, Sora." Sora looked up from the wooden sword and smiled a bit. "And I know not all of those dents are from me. You've got so much potential. We just need to work toward unlocking it." He ruffled the boy's spiky brown hair, and Sora shoved him away lightly as his grin returned.

"Yeah, you're right," he said with a nod. "Thanks, Ven. Just you wait! I'll be the best Keyblade wielder ever!" He looked up at the moon and frowned. "Ugh, I should probably get home before my mom gets mad. But I'll see you tomorrow evening for dinner, right?"

"Right," Ventus nodded. "And tell your parents I said 'hi,' will you? I look forward to meeting them."

"I will!" With that, Sora waved and ran off toward the dock. "See you tomorrow, Ven!" Ventus waved back and watched as the boy departed for the mainland. Once he was gone, Ventus turned back to the ocean and glanced over at the Paopu Tree, and he chuckled to himself.

"I wonder what you would say, Terra… Would you trust me enough to let me go? Or would you try to tell them they were letting a wolf into the flock?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, his fingers gently sliding along the Wayfinder in one of them. "I wonder what you've been up to these past ten years. How many have you gotten rid of? Have you gotten hurt? …Do you still think of us?" He sighed and shook his head, deciding it was better not to dwell on the past too long. Terra had made his stance clear, and both Ventus and Aqua did their best to respect that.

"Still…" He murmured as he summoned a path to the Lanes Between. "I wonder if we could ever be friends again." He equipped his armor and departed from Destiny Islands, bound for the Land of Departure to meet back up with the one other person he knew would stay at his side for eternity.


	19. Chapter XVIII: Disbelief

Aqua had about fallen over laughing when Ventus told her about his plans the following night. He had to admit that inviting a vampire, even unknowingly, over for something like dinner was rather humorous. Regardless, he now stood on the front step of a home on the mainland of Destiny Islands, bracing himself for the worst and hoping for the best. He raised his hand and knocked a few times, then took a step back and waited. There was a brief delay before a man opened the door, wary at first before perking up, almost surprised.

"You must be Ventus!" he greeted, and Ventus nodded and took the man's offered hand, receiving a hearty handshake. "Nice to meet you, son. Come on in and make yourself at home!" He stepped aside and turned around toward a hallway while Ventus pulled off his jacket and gloves. "Hey, Sora!" his father called. "Ventus is here!"

"Just Ven is fine," Ventus said, smiling as Sora's father looked back at him. "You have a very nice home, sir. Thank you for having me over."

"Well, what a polite young man," another voice said, and he turned to find a woman entering from another doorway. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ventus. I'm glad to see Sora meeting another boy his age."

"Seeeeeeee?" Sora said jokingly as he came in from down the hall. "Nothing to worry about, right? Ven is a really nice guy."

"Alright, alright," his father laughed and ruffled his hair. "Come on. Let's eat. Two teenage boys! I hope we have enough."

"I made plenty," Sora's mother said with a smile. "Don't be shy, Ventus! We don't bite."

_Maybe, but I do, _he thought darkly as he pushed back the rising instinct to attack. The sight and smell of Sora calmed him down a bit, and he smiled as Sora grinned at him.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. So come on! Dinnertime!" Ventus nodded and followed him into the dining room, and he took a seat next to Sora while the boy's parents sat down at either end. Sora's mother had spared no effort, from the look of it, and prepared a fish that, even if it didn't rouse his appetite, Ventus had to admit smelled delicious. Alongside it were several vegetables and potatoes along with a mix of fruit.

"Help yourself, Ven," Sora's father invited.

"Thank you, sir, ma'am." He smiled. "Been a while since I've had a good home-cooked meal." They began serving themselves, and Ventus took a modest amount that he hoped didn't raise any suspicion. After a bit of time to eat, Sora's parents decided to strike up conversation again.

"So, Ventus, are you new to the islands?" his mother asked.

"More on an extended visit," he replied between bites that simply felt strange in his stomach.

"Summer vacation," Sora's father guessed. "Well, you picked a great place to visit. And maybe some time in the sun will do you good! You're pale as a ghost."

"Daaaaaad," Sora complained, taking a quick break from scarfing down his food. "Ven's skin is really sensitive to sunlight."

"Right," Ventus nodded. "I burn easily." It was technically true, even if they misinterpreted it. "So I'm kind of nocturnal. My sleep schedule is really weird- I'm more active at night, and the ocean is quite a sight in the moonlight."

"Indeed," Sora's mother agreed and looked up at her husband. "Remember the walks we used to take along the beach? It was lovely."

"Not half as lovely as you," he replied with a smile, and as she dipped her head, he turned back to their guest. "So, Ven. What do your parents do?"

"Uh…" Ventus frowned. "I lost my parents when I was little." Silence fell over the table.

"Oh, Ventus," Sora's mother said softly. "We're so sorry."

"It's okay," he replied with a smile. "I lived with my grandfather for a while, but when he passed away, a man took me in to study under him. He grew to be like a father to me." Sora's parents both nodded, and Sora himself smiled as he listened intently.

"Well, you're always welcome here," Sora's mother said, and Ventus smiled warmly.

"Thank you, ma'am." With that, they returned to their dinner for a while. After a bit of time and general, light chatter, a knock came at the door.

"Huh," Sora's father grunted. "I didn't think we were expecting anyone else." He got up and went to answer the door in the next room over. "Oh, Riku!" Ventus stiffened slightly. "Sora actually has another friend over right now for dinner. But you're more than welcome to join us."

"Alright," Riku replied from the doorway. "Thank you, sir. Sorry for dropping in unannounced."

"You know we're used to having you here," Sora's father laughed. "Just as I'm sure your parents don't even blink when Sora is at your house."

"No, not really," Riku chuckled as he followed Sora's father back into the dining room, and Sora jumped up with a grin on his face.

"Hey, Riku! Good timing. I want you to meet someone!" Ventus took a deep breath and stood as well, then turned around as Sora's gleeful gaze looked from him to Riku and back. "This is my friend Ven." Riku didn't immediately respond, but only stared at Ventus as he tried to control the shock and anger betrayed only slightly in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Riku," Ventus said in some attempt to be friendly and not alert Sora or his parents to their hostility. "Sora's told me a lot about you. I was hoping I'd get a chance to meet you myself."

"Funny," Riku replied. "He's never mentioned you to me."

"That's because I never see you anymore!" Sora pointed out. "Where do you keep disappearing to?"

"I'm taking some lessons this summer," Riku replied. "I told you that a couple of weeks ago." He looked over to Sora's mother. "I'm sorry, but can I borrow him a second? I need to talk to him about something kind of important. Then I can sit down and eat."

"Alright," she nodded. "But don't take too long, boys!" With that, Riku grabbed Sora's arm lightly and dragged him out of the dining room before he even had a chance to think about protesting, and a feeling of dread washed over Ventus's heart as he sat down again.

"What's up?" Sora asked once Riku had pulled him into his bedroom and shut the door. The silver-haired boy sighed heavily and massaged his forehead, pacing slightly before turning back to his friend.

"I know this is going to sound insane, but you need to listen to me, okay?" Sora flinched under Riku's sternly serious gaze, and he nodded.

"O-Okay. What is it?" Riku took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Ven is a vampire."

Sora blinked and stared at Riku as if he'd gone mad. Sure, he'd joked around in the past and they'd gone looking for all sorts of creatures and monsters when they were little, but he'd never acted like this, and his fierce eyes told Sora that he wasn't messing around this time.

"Er, what?" was all he could say in response, and Riku groaned.

"You have to believe me, Sora! You're in danger as long as you get anywhere near him. Look at him! No living human should be that pale."

"He's just sensitive to the sun," Sora replied, and Riku smirked.

"Yeah, because he'll burn in sunlight," he spat. "Like literally. Not just a little sunburn like you or me. It'll kill him."

"What's your problem?" Sora scoffed, his confusion coming out as malice. "Are you jealous or something? I can have more than one friend, Riku! I'm not replacing you or anything!"

"Sora!" Riku hissed, grabbing hold of his shoulders. "I'm saying this because I don't want you to get hurt. Or worse!" He stepped back and released his friend, and instead started counting off on his fingers. "He's super pale, he has red eyes, he's cold to the touch…"

"So?"

"Have you ever seen him during the day? Out in the sun?" Riku inquired, and Sora frowned.

"No…" he admitted.

"Has he actually eaten anything?"

"He's out there right now!" Sora pointed out. "I wasn't exactly paying attention to how much he'd had."

"Don't," Riku snapped. "Because it doesn't matter. He's out for blood, Sora. Literally. And if you don't stay away from him, he'll make you his next meal." Sora sighed heavily and lowered his head.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're not making any sense," he said lowly. "Ven is a friend. He's not out to suck my blood or whatever. Vampires don't exist!"

"Sora…" Riku nearly pleaded, but Sora shoved past him and headed back out into the hall.

"Come on. We should get back to the table. Ven probably feels pretty awkward being left alone with Mom and Dad."

"Sora!" Riku called after him, and he let out a heavy, defeated sigh before following him back out to the dining room, masking his anger and concern as best he could.

"Everything okay, boys?" Sora's father asked as they took their seats. "Help yourself, Riku," he added, and Riku nodded.

"We're fine," Sora replied with a smile. "Sorry about that, Ven." Ventus shook his head and scooped up the last few scraps on his plate to finish off his meal. "Didn't mean to abandon you!"

"It's alright," Ventus said with a smile of his own. "Your parents were just telling me how you and Riku have been friends since you were in diapers."

"Moooooooom!" Sora complained, and she laughed.

"I didn't know how else to put it!" she giggled. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but still," he grumbled and turned his attention back to his food. Ventus sighed inwardly as he found Riku barely trying to hide his glare at him while he picked at his plate.

"So, Riku," he said in some attempt to ease the tension between them before anyone else caught wind of it. "How old are you?"

"Gonna be sixteen shortly," he replied, trying to bring life to his flat voice. "You?"

"Sixteen myself," Ventus replied.

"Really," Riku mused. "Would have thought you were older, actually."

"Maybe the three of you should hang out sometime," Sora's father suggested. "Especially since Tidus and Wakka have been so wrapped up playing Blitzball lately."

"That'd be cool," Sora said, brightening. "What do you think, Ven?"

"Sure," he agreed. "Don't see why not."

Sora, his parents, and Ventus all looked up at the sound of a grunt of pain from Riku, and Sora stood up in concern. Ventus, however, stiffened as his eyes widened.

"Riku?" Sora's mother stood as well and came to stand over him. "Are you okay? What happened?" He lifted up his hand with a rather nasty cut on it.

"Guess my knife slipped," he said. "Sorry about that." She took his hand gently to observe it.

"I'll get you a rag and a bandage," she said, and disappeared into the kitchen. Ventus, meanwhile, pressed his hand over his nose and mouth and sunk into his chair, fighting back the urge and instinct to feed as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ventus?!" Sora's father demanded, concerned as Sora looked up from doting over Riku's cut. "What's the matter?"

"B-Blood…" he managed to say, the word muffled. "I… I'm really sensitive to blood."

"Of course you are," he heard Riku mutter, and wasn't sure if anyone else would have even heard him clearly. Sora's father placed his hand on Ventus's shoulder, and as soon as he did, Ventus jumped up and stumbled on his way to the front door.

"I need some air," he said quickly and left before anyone could question him. Once outside, he sat down in their yard, curling over with his forehead against his knees as he trembled and the fire in his throat burned. The smell of Riku's blood lingered in his nostrils, leaving him struggling to contain himself.

_No doubt about it now, _he thought dully. _He knows what I am. But how? _Meanwhile, the intensity of his thirst told him he wasn't going to just will it away. He hadn't hunted in several days, and while he ordinarily could last about a week, the sudden scent and sight of blood was enough to make him just shy of ravenous.

He got to his feet and took off into the night, and he heard Sora's father calling for him. But instead of heading back, he made his way further into town and slowed down near the central square. He caught wind of a passerby and followed the scent, finding a man walking through the streets with his hands in his pockets and his head down. He looked miserable, to say the least. Ventus started toward him, his footsteps nearly silent, as the burning in his throat reacted to the thought of an imminent meal.

"Don't you DARE!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Ventus grumbled and turned around to find Riku standing a short distance away, his injured hand now wrapped in a strip of bandages. The man, on the other hand, decided it would be a good time to remove himself from the scene and briskly walked away.

"I told you to get away from here," Riku went on, his eyes narrowed and his fingers flexing as he took a step closer. "Leeches like you aren't welcome around here." Now that his secret was essentially out, Ventus shook his head and sighed.

"You really are a pain," he said flatly. "You have to ruin everything for me, huh? Every time I want to just enjoy myself and have a little fun without hurting anyone, you have to mess it up."

"Oh, _sorry,_" Riku seethed. "I didn't realize me trying to keep you from killing people was inconvenient to you. Freaks like you don't deserve 'fun.' You deserve to rot." Ventus crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, leaning his head back.

"Consider yourself lucky, Riku. Killing you would, pardon the expression, leave a bad taste in my mouth. I don't hunt children. Though I wouldn't have to hunt at _all _tonight if it wasn't for your little stunt back there. You think that would help anything? Putting Sora and his parents in danger like that? What would that accomplish?"

"I wanted to show Sora what you really are," the boy snapped. "Stay away from him." Ventus tilted his head to the side as Riku continued to approach him, stopping a few paces away.

"You have a strong heart," he noticed, earning a brief confused look. He took that as his chance to escape, and he took off running. Riku, unfortunately, apparently had quick reflexes, and he chased after his target without hesitation.

"Run all you like!" he called. "I know every part of this island. You can face me or burn once the sun comes up!"

"Stupid kid," Ventus muttered as he turned a corner. But even with his speed, he couldn't shake Riku long enough to open a path and leave Destiny Islands without alerting him of such a method of travel existing. Protecting the order of the worlds was still his primary duty. "Guess I'll just have to try to outlast him," he grumbled and picked up his pace.


	20. Chapter XIX: Sacrifice

"I don't believe this," Ventus sighed as he ducked behind a corner and found himself stuck in an alley. Riku had been relentless, chasing after him and cutting him off all night. While he may have had the upper hand in endurance, this was Riku's home, and he knew every shortcut, every corner, and every escape route. Any other night, he likely would have been fine, but his thirst and need to feed crippled him. He looked up at the paling sky, bracing his back against the wall as he tried not to panic. "You're not just some kid on a high horse," he muttered as Riku came to the alley, panting. "You've got training of some kind."

"Well?" Riku called, though he was incredibly winded. "You ready to give up? I can finish you off quickly or you can suffer the sun. Your choice." Ventus glanced to him briefly before returning his gaze to the sky. The shadows around him grew stronger, alerting him the sun was rising. "Life starts early around here," Riku went on, crossing his arms. "You don't really have time to think this over." Ventus frowned and sidled up against the wall as sunlight began to peak over the roofs of the buildings he found himself trapped against.

"Alright, alright," he breathed. "I'm exhausted, thirsty, and about to burn to a crisp. You're stubborn, Riku. I'll give you that." He looked back to his pursuer to find him approaching with the slightest sign of a triumphant smirk on his face. "But… If you're going to be a hunter, I'll teach you something now." He straightened up. "While we don't last long in the sun, some of us have ways to outsmart it." With that, he shoved his hand into the opposite sleeve and summoned his armor, encasing him head to toe. He took off running again and shoved past a dumbfounded Riku, leaving him behind as he raced for the water. The sunlight was agony, but his armor provided some relief from its rays. Even so, he knew he wouldn't last long. Meanwhile, behind him, he heard Riku let out a frustrated yell of defeat, but didn't stop to celebrate. Before he could do anything else, he had to get away from the prying eyes of the mainland, and he figured he knew just the place.

Once he reached the shore, he summoned his glider and sped across the water to the Paopu Tree's islet, hoping he'd be able to summon a path to the Lanes Between once he reached it. He arrived and dismissed his glider, landing in the sand as the water lapped against it. But before he could retrieve his Keyblade and open his way home, his exhaustion got the better of him and he collapsed.

"A…qua…" he mumbled as he lay there, futilely attempting to move his limbs as the sun rose further into the sky. He mentally scolded himself for letting it get to this, thought he should have just escaped when he had the chance whether Riku saw him or not. He didn't care so much about his own suffering as how much it would hurt Aqua when he didn't return. He'd promised her eternity, and yet he'd only managed about ten years.

"Pathetic…" he breathed and shut his eyes, wondering if he should just remove his armor just to quicken his death. But, instead, he heard a bewildered call from the direction of the dock followed by two sets of footsteps.

"Stay here." He recognized that voice, he realized. A moment later, he tilted his head to find Sora standing over him, confused and concerned.

"S-Sora," he said weakly, and Sora's eyes widened.

"Wait. Ven?!"

"Sora, please…" He reached his hand out, his arm trembling, toward the boy. "I have to get out of the sun. Help me…" Sora nodded vigorously and grabbed his teacher's arm, pulling it over his shoulders and wrapping his other arm around Ventus's waist.

"I'll be right back, Kairi!" he called, and Ventus turned his gaze to find a red-haired girl standing a short distance down the beach, watching them both with worried eyes.

"Should I go get help?" she asked as Sora started toward the cave at the back of the islet.

"Maybe," he replied, but looked down when Ventus shook his head. "No, not yet! Let me see what I can do." With a bit of effort, he managed to pull Ventus into the cool shade of the cave with the odd, knob-less door and all the drawings on the walls. He helped Ventus sit down against one of the larger rocks, and Ventus dismissed his armor and leaned his head back.

"Thanks," he breathed as he panted, the fire in his throat raging and his body weak.

"Good gravy, Ven!" Sora blurted at the sight of the slight burns on Ventus's exposed skin. "You really weren't kidding when you said you're sensitive to sunlight. Can I do anything for you?"

"J-Just go," Ventus replied, raising his hand a bit. "I'm really thirsty, Sora. You need to get out of here." Sora watched him a moment longer before nodding and leaving the cave. As he departed, Ventus's thoughts returned to Aqua and his concern for how she would fare without him. He knew his burns would heal with time as long as he got his energy back. But to do that, he needed to hunt, and he was in no condition to chase anyone down. He wasn't even sure if he could stand.

He looked up curiously at the sound of footsteps entering the cave again, and a moment later, Sora appeared. He knelt down at Ventus's side and held out a container of water. Ventus smiled slightly and leaned his head back again.

"Not quite what I meant," he admitted. "But thanks." Sora frowned and sat back as well, head down in thought.

"What, do you need blood or something?" he asked, and Ventus raised his head again to stare at him. Sora smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Sorry, probably not the time for a joke." His smile faded. "Riku's convinced you're a vampire, apparently." Ventus sighed gently.

"I am a vampire, Sora." Sora blinked and his eyes blanked for a bit of time as he processed this information.

"Wait, wait," he finally managed to say. "What?" Ventus lifted his finger to his mouth and pushed back his lip, revealing one of his fangs. "Whoa."

"Yep," Ventus said as he again leaned his head back. "Your friend Riku pulled a really stupid move last night when he cut himself. I went to hunt after I left before I lost control of my thirst, but he caught up with me. I'll give him credit that he's stubborn, though. Chased me around all night."

"Is… he okay?" Sora asked quietly, and Ventus nodded.

"Yeah. I don't want to hurt him. And I don't want to hurt you either, Sora. You should leave before I lose control." Sora hesitated, still trying to come to terms with what he'd just learned. Ventus couldn't blame him. It was a pretty unbelievable thing to suddenly have dropped on him.

"So you…" Sora said, but fell silent again for a bit. "You need blood. Right?"

"More or less," Ventus breathed.

"Then…" The blue-eyed boy pursed his lips and pulled his shirt and jacket to the side a bit. "Maybe if you left me with enough to survive…" Ventus blinked and stared at him for a moment, then let out a labored laugh as he curled over, wrapping his arms over his stomach.

"You remind me of a moron from a while back," he said, earning a confused look.

"Who?"

"Me." Ventus shook his head and looked back up at Sora, his smile and humor vanishing to be replaced with a starkly serious look. "But Sora, I couldn't ask that of you. I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering," Sora pointed out. "I trust you, Ven!"

"You're not scared of me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend," Sora replied with a smile. "And I've been training with you every night for a week. If you were gonna hurt me or whatever else, you would have by now. And if you die, who'll teach me how to use the Keyblade?" Ventus snorted and shook his head.

"You're… sure about this?"

"For the last time, YES," Sora grinned. "Well, wait. If you do, am I gonna turn into a vampire?"

"No," Ventus smiled a bit. "I promise. We're venomous, but if that venom doesn't get too far into your bloodstream, then you'll be fine. It… gets pulled out."

"Oh." Sora nodded. "Okay, I think I get it. So might as well get it over with, right?" A wave of guilt washed over Ventus, but he couldn't deny the help. He wasn't going to get anywhere any other way. He placed his hand on Sora's arm and took a deep breath.

"You'll be fine," he said softly, not quite sure if he was talking to Sora or himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and sunk his fangs into Sora's shoulder. Several moments later, the boy fell against him and he pulled back quickly. "Sora?!"

"I-I'm okay…" Sora mumbled and sat back up. "Just… dizzy. You okay?" Ventus took a moment to assess the state of his body. He wasn't in perfect condition, but he could feel his strength returning already and his mind cleared.

"For now," he replied. "I'm sorry, Sora. Thank you."

"No problem," Sora said, and Ventus helped him adjust to lean back against the cave's wall. "Glad I could help." He let out a weak chuckle. "Guess you just needed a snack." Ventus smiled a bit and his eyes softened.

"Guess so." They both sat in silence for a while, giving themselves a bit of time to recover. "That girl isn't going to be waiting for you, is she?" he asked.

"Who, Kairi? I told her I might be a while," Sora replied. "She knows I can take care of myself. Besides, I told her you were a friend." Ventus nodded. "Anyway… Can I ask you some stuff?"

"About?"

"About what it's like to be a vampire." Ventus smiled helplessly and shrugged.

"Fine. Ask away." Sora thought over his options for a moment.

"Uh… How old are you?" he asked. "Is it true you're immortal?"

"I'm twenty-six years old," Ventus said, turning more toward his companion. "I was turned a little over ten years ago."

"If I can ask, how did that happen?" Sora wondered. Ventus frowned and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Before, when I was human and training with my friends under our master… It was more than just training with the Keyblade. Master Eraqus was also one of the greatest vampire hunters in history. Well, our history anyway." He paused as Sora listened intently. "He once trained alongside a man named Xehanort. However, Xehanort was turned sometime later on and opened his heart to darkness. It's a scary combination." Again, he fell silent for a moment. "Xehanort took on an apprentice named Vanitas, and the two of them were basically as dangerous as vampires get. They didn't care about humans and just saw them as prey. They hunted for sport more than just to survive.

"One night after we ran into Vanitas, he snuck into our home and bit Aqua. Once she came to, she ran away out of fear and shame. We were basically instructed to kill any vampire on sight. I found her a few months later, but…" He shook his head. "I couldn't hurt her. She was one of my best friends. And even then, some part of me loved her. Anyway, a while later, Terra and I went out to put a stop to Xehanort and Vanitas. But… they almost killed me.

"I realized then that there was no way I would be able to face them and survive- not as a human. I went back to Aqua and… I asked her to turn me. I figured stopping them was more important than my own humanity. Or… I should probably say more important than my soul. I like to think I still have some humanity."

"More than some," Sora said with a smile, and Ventus smiled as well.

"Thanks, Sora." He could see in the boy's eyes that he wanted to hear more. "Besides all that, I wanted to spend my life with Aqua. And if she couldn't die with me, then that left me the option of living with her. And now, here I am."

"That's amazing," Sora marveled. "You gave up everything to keep people safe. And for her, huh?"

"Yep," he nodded. "Any other questions?"

"Hm…" Sora pursed his lips in thought again. "Is garlic really so bad for you?"

"Not as bad as some legends make it out to be," Ventus chuckled. "We have heightened senses of sight, smell, and hearing. Garlic is just so strong that it can mess up our sense of smell. Think about how strong it is for you, then multiply that by like… ten. It throws us off."

"What about a wooden stake through the heart? Will that kill you?"

"I'm pretty sure that would kill anybody," Ventus said with a snort. "But in all seriousness, our hearts are basically our most prized possessions. It's what keeps us alive." His eyes darkened at the memory of Vanitas's death at Terra's hands. "That's why a Keyblade is so dangerous to us. If we lose our hearts, we have nothing." Sora nodded.

"I think I get it," he said. "Uh… Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"Why would I do that?" Ventus smirked. "Maybe some long time ago, they did. Aqua and I live… Well, in a cave. But it's a nice cave!" Sora laughed, though it left him winded. "It doesn't see much direct sunlight, so it's safe for us," Ventus added. "You… can see what happens when we end up in the sun."

"Yeah, is that why you had that armor on?"

"Yep," Ventus nodded. "It's mainly what I use to protect myself when I travel between worlds, but Aqua discovered it's also helpful for blocking out the sun. Sort of. It buys us some time if we find ourselves out during the day."

"Okay." Sora again thought over his questions for a moment. "One more. You need blood to survive." Ventus nodded again. "Does it have to be human blood?"

"Unfortunately," he sighed. "That's one thing we don't really quite understand. My guess is that we need others' blood to replace what we don't have. If you needed a blood transplant, you would need another human's blood, right? You couldn't use, say, a dog's or something." Sora chuckled and shrugged.

"Good point." With that, he slowly got to his feet, and Ventus jumped up to help him keep his balance.

"You feeling okay?" he asked, and Sora gave him a reassuring grin.

"A little light-headed and maybe kind of weak, but I'm okay. I'll manage. Anyway." He looked toward the cave's entrance. "Think you'll be okay if you leave now? I can distract Kairi."

"Alright." Ventus summoned his armor again and took Sora's arm to wrap it around his shoulders. "Just so I can make sure you can walk," he explained. The two made their way back out to the beach, and Sora pulled away from his companion and adjusted his collar. He peaked around the tree and frowned.

"Oh, great," he grumbled. "Riku's here." Riku, indeed, was talking with Kairi, though they were too far away to hear. He suddenly looked up toward the tree and the cave behind it and started over the sand. "You gotta go!" Sora said quickly, turning back to Ventus briefly. "I'll try to distract him." Before Ventus had a chance to protest, he ran off, half stumbling as he went. Ventus sighed and summoned a path to the Lanes Between, then quickly called his glider and sped off, pleading silently that Sora would be okay.

He arrived back at the Land of Departure and grit his teeth as he hurried to his home, hoping to get to the sanctuary of shadows before the fresh blood in his body wore off. He reached the side of the mountain where the cave was located and crept closer to the entrance.

"Aqua!" he called out, not sure if she was awake or not. "Get away from the curtain!" He waited a second longer- all he could spare- before jumping off his glider and diving inside. As soon as he landed, he found himself held tight in Aqua's arms as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Thank goodness," she breathed, holding him tighter. He smiled slightly and dismissed his armor before wrapping his arms around her, and she stroked his hair gently. "Do you realize how worried I was?!" she demanded without loosening her hold on him.

"Believe it or not, yes," he replied and kissed her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Aqua. I ran into some… complications last night." He pulled back and quickly explained the night's events, starting from when he had arrived at Sora's house to leaving the Paopu Tree's islet and the sacrifice Sora had made for him. "Don't get me wrong," he sighed as he finished. "I feel terrible about it all. But I don't know if I would have lasted without him."

"I understand better than you think," she told him gently, leaning in and gently grazing her fangs along his shoulder. He smiled softly once again.

"Yeah, I suppose you do," he agreed. "I really am sorry for worrying you, though. Forgive me?" She smiled as well and placed her hand to his cheek.

"There's nothing to forgive. I'm just glad you're okay. Sora too."

"Yeah, by the way," he added. "He wants to meet you. Maybe you could help teach him some magic." She let out a soft laugh and hugged him again.

"Maybe," she nodded. "But let's worry about that later."

"Whoop!" He laughed as she pushed him onto his back and eyed him as she pulled his coat from his shoulders. "I take it you have something else on your mind," he noticed, and her smile grew playfully. He shook his head briefly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down against him and locking his lips with hers.


	21. Chapter XX: Escalating Tension

Ventus had slept the rest of the day and well into the evening, and he and Aqua decided it would be better to lie low that night. The following night, however, he returned to Destiny Islands while she followed close behind. More than anything, he just wanted to make sure Sora was okay, and figured he'd introduce Aqua to the boy who'd saved his life so selflessly. They arrived at the Paopu Tree's islet and he smiled once they dismissed their armor.

"Up there." He pointed at the Paopu Tree itself, and a warm smile spread across Aqua's face as she saw the fruit growing from it.

"It's so beautiful," she marveled as she looked from it over to the light of the moon shimmering on the waves. The sound of the water lapping against the beach in the otherwise still night air was so serene and peaceful. "I should come with you more often."

"Aw, but if you do, I won't be able to focus on training Sora," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Not when I'm too busy looking at how beautiful you are in the moonlight." A quick giggle escaped her lips and she turned to kiss him briefly.

"You've literally been looking at the same face for ten years," she said as she stroked his cheek. "How can you still look at me like that?"

"Like what?" he wondered with a playful grin.

"Like you absolutely adore me," she mused. "Like you think I'm the most amazing thing you've ever seen. Like…"

"I'll love you forever?" he finished as his grin grew. "That's because I do absolutely adore you and think you're the most amazing person ever. But most importantly, I love you for your heart, Aqua. And no matter what we go through, that'll never change." She kissed his forehead and took his hands in hers.

"And I you, Ven," she said gently. "Thank you."

He turned at a now familiar sound and found a rowboat coming around the islet. Once he had docked, Sora disembarked the boat and made his way over the sand. He kept a brisk pace, but didn't run like he usually did. Even so, he still had his usual grin on his face and stopped a pace away from them.

"Sorry I didn't show up last night," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I fell asleep right after dinner. I was pretty sluggish yesterday." Ventus snorted and shook his head.

"I don't blame you!" he laughed. "I spent most of yesterday sleeping myself. I wasn't really expecting either of us to be up for a lesson. Anyway," he gestured to his companion. "Sora, I want you to meet Aqua."

"So you're Aqua!" Sora grinned and took her offered hand as she nodded to him. "I've really been looking forward to meeting you. I'm Sora."

"Nice to meet you, Sora," she replied warmly. "Thank you for what you did for Ven. I don't know what I'd do without him." Sora locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back a bit.

"Just did what I thought was right," he shrugged. "Uh, so can today be another history lesson? I'm not sure I can handle you coming at me with a weapon today." Ventus and Aqua both laughed.

"I think that's the first time you've actually _asked _for a history lesson," Ventus remarked. "But before I get ahead of myself, I want to ask you something." Sora tilted his head curiously. "Now that you know about… us, I guess, about what we are, do you want to train as a hunter?" Sora blinked.

"Uh, wait. You mean like hunting vampires?"

"Yep," Ventus smirked. "I know it sounds weird coming from me, but Aqua and I are actually still hunters in a way. Not all vampires are as… nice as we are."

"Many of them are downright nasty," Aqua agreed. "Call us hypocrites if you will, but most aren't as peaceful as us. They're truly dangerous and we still consider it our duty to save the worlds from them."

"I can teach you how to relatively safely track them and about our weaknesses," Ventus went on. "You can help keep people safe. But if you decide you don't want to do that, I can still just teach you as a Keyblade wielder." Sora crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought for a few moments.

"Might as well," he decided. "As long as I know about you, I should probably make myself useful." He smiled and unfolded his arms. "Count me in!"

"Then make yourself comfortable," Ventus said with a laugh. "Might as well go over the basics with you now."

"SORA!"

The three of them turned to find Riku arriving on the islet followed by a man in his late twenties. Both Ventus and Aqua stared at him in disbelief as he summoned forth a Keyblade they were all too familiar with.

"Slow down, Riku," he commanded, stopping the boy before he could sprint over. "You've antagonized him enough as it is. You need to be careful." He looked up at Ventus and fell silent, his blue eyes widening as his gaze shifted between him and Aqua.

"…Terra…" Aqua breathed as he slowly trudged closer to them.

"Riku," Terra said once he'd cleared his throat. "Th-That boy… That's the one who bit your friend?"

"That's him," Riku confirmed, brow furrowed and eyes burning with anger. Terra clenched his fists, one gripping his Keyblade tightly, as he processed the information he'd been presented with.

"And here I was expecting just another demon," he grumbled through grit teeth, then shook his head vigorously. "Ven! Is it true? Did you bite that boy Sora?" Ventus blinked and looked at Sora, who only gave him a bewildered gaze in return.

"H…How did you know?" Sora called.

"Riku told me what happened two nights ago," Terra explained, his Keyblade hesitating between resting and ready for a fight. "That another friend of yours had seen you disappear with Ventus in his armor, but he disappeared and when you came out, you were weak and dizzy. I've been at this a long time, Sora." He looked back at Ventus, furious. "How could you do this?!"

"Because Riku left me struggling to stay alive!" Ventus snapped, more hurt than angry at the fury in Terra's eyes. "I wouldn't have even needed to hunt that night if it wasn't for him." Terra shook his head and inhaled deeply.

"Sora," he said in a low voice. "My name is Terra. I've been training Riku to hunt demons like Ventus." His gaze flicked briefly to Aqua, but he said nothing. "You're lucky to be alive. You need to stay away from him."

"Why do you both keep saying that?!" Sora demanded, taking a step closer to his master. "Ven is my friend! I offered to help him."

"So did he," Terra spat. "And look at him now."

"Terra!" Aqua interrupted, taking several steps toward him that only caused him to stiffen. "Please, stop this. You know Ven isn't a monster. Neither of us are! It was one big misunderstanding."

"What's not to understand?" Terra inquired sharply. "We had a deal. You don't hunt children! You don't harm them. You had to have known how close he was getting to Sora," he went on before she could say anything. "You should have stopped him."

"But-"

"Just stop," he snapped and turned back to Ventus. "You broke our deal. You know what that means." He sighed heavily and set his battle stance. "I treat you like I would any other demon."

"Terra!" Ventus pleaded. "Listen to yourself! You _know _I would never hurt a child. None of this would have happened if your apprentice there hadn't provoked me!"

"Oh, so you're saying this is my fault?" Riku demanded.

"I'm not _not _saying it," Ventus muttered. Riku frowned and curled his fingers into fists.

"Master Terra, let me show this demon what I'm really capable of. I'll make sure he never hurts Sora or anyone else ever again!" Terra only nodded, and Ventus began to panic. His eyes widened as Riku summoned a Keyblade and rushed toward him. He shifted his weight into a defensive stance, but did not summon his own Keyblade.

"Riku, no!" Sora yelled, and before anyone could stop him, he intercepted his friend and a loud clang echoed across the beach as a light suddenly illuminated between them. When it died down, it revealed yet another Keyblade, a simple silver shaft with a yellow guard around the hilt and crown-like teeth. Both the boys stared at each other and they broke apart a heartbeat later.

"You have a Keyblade?" they both said within a second of the other. Ventus shook himself from his awe at the sight of Sora's Keyblade and returned his gaze to Terra.

"That's why I was anywhere near him," he explained. "I was training him as my apprentice. Human or not, it's still my job as a Keyblade wielder to pass it on to someone else. I had no intention of hurting him."

"Terra," Aqua spoke up again. "Please. You have to understand. You must know neither of us want to harm anyone. Do you see that?" She pointed up at the Paopu Tree. "Remember what I told you? The three of us share an unbreakable connection! Does that, our friendship, mean nothing to you?" He didn't immediately respond.

"My friends died ten years ago," he said dully. "I gave you both a chance to honor their memory. That's it." He set his battle stance again, as did Riku.

"If you want to hurt them, you'll have to go through me!" Sora nearly shouted as he readied his Keyblade, but Ventus stepped to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Sora looked up at him, and he shook his head. Despite a desire to protest, Sora complied and straightened back up, lowering his Keyblade to his side. Ventus then turned to Terra and walked over to stand a few paces in front of him. He summoned the Wayward Wind and tossed it away to the ground.

"Alright, Terra," he began quietly. "Our friendship, the battles we've fought together, our time training under the Master, us saving your life, you saving mine… If that all means nothing to you, then kill me." He spread his arms and lowered his head. "If you really think I'm a monster and nothing else, that I don't have any trace of my humanity left, then go ahead!" Terra stared at him, his inner conflict and grief betrayed by his eyes. Ventus bowed forward slightly, lowering his head further. "If everything we've shared doesn't mean anything to you, just do it," he said softly. "Put an end to me." Terra frowned and slowly approached him, raising his Keyblade. Sora cried out and Aqua grabbed his arms to keep him in place despite the grief and pain on her face.

Ventus shut his eyes as Terra stopped before him, gripping his Keyblade tightly. He lifted it into the air with his eyes glaring at his former companion, but he hesitated. He swung the Keyblade down and staked it into the sand hairs away from where he would have struck his target.

"One more chance," he muttered. "My friend is still alive in you somewhere. I won't be the one to end him." Ventus peaked up at him to find him looking over to Aqua and meeting her grievous gaze. "Try to keep your mate from doing anything else that stupid." He turned away and Ventus hurried over to her, his heart clenching at the hurt in her eyes. "Sora," Terra went on without turning around. "I can train you as a Keyblade wielder. If you feel threatened at all, even if you think you're overreacting or being paranoid, I'd be happy to take you on alongside Riku." With that, he opened a path with his Keyblade and gestured for his apprentice to follow him. Riku hesitated, casting one more fretful glance at Sora that turned to anger as he looked to Ventus, but he complied and followed his master.


	22. Interlude II: Priority

Terra let out a heavy sigh as he and Riku arrived at the Land of Departure, stepping out of the path he'd opened onto the terrace before the castle itself. He hadn't felt this exhausted in years. It was almost funny, the way he could spend multiple nights chasing down monsters and be fine, but the effect Ventus and Aqua had on his emotions was enough to siphon away almost every drop of energy in his body. Riku looked at him with concerned eyes, and Terra could see the lingering anger within them.

"Are you okay, Master?" the boy asked, and Terra nodded.

"I'll be fine." He shook his head and straightened up. "What about you?" Riku pursed his lips and lowered his head.

"Worried what that leech will do to Sora," he grumbled. "If I may ask, you knew them?"

"I do," Terra replied, looking up to the night sky above, and his heart ached at the sight of a single meteor streaking across the sky before burning out. "Ten years ago, we were friends and classmates under Master Eraqus. But not anymore." He looked down, his exhaustion making it difficult to remain standing. "Some part of them still exist within those demons." He looked up to his apprentice and frowned.

"Do you really think Ventus won't hurt Sora again?" Riku asked, and Terra didn't immediately reply.

"I trust him enough that he won't," he finally said. "And… I trust him and Aqua to keep each other in line. As long as they're together, maybe they really will keep some shred of humanity." He sighed again. "It's… difficult," he admitted. "I look at them, see their faces, and I can't decide whether I see my old friends or monsters." He placed his hand on Riku's shoulder. "I need you to do something."

"Anything," Riku nodded.

"Until you decide something else is more important, I want your highest priority to be making sure Sora doesn't end up one of them." He bowed his head. "I don't want you to deal with this pain and confusion." Riku's eyes softened with sympathy and he placed his hand on his master's arm.

"I will," he agreed. "I'll keep him safe."

"Good." Terra withdrew his arm and looked up at the castle, crossing his arms. "But understand this, Riku. Don't antagonize Sora. He'll need you as a friend, not an enemy." He shut his eyes as he felt a dull guilt flare up again in his heart. "Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if I could have saved Ventus. There may not have been anything we could have done for Aqua, but… Knowing that he chose her over everything else, I wonder if there was something I could have done. Some other path I could have taken that would have made him feel more secure." He let out a weak and short chuckle. "He may not have aged since the last time I saw him, but he has gotten older inside. Aqua too." He turned back to Riku.

"Sorry if this is out of line, but I think you've done more than enough for them," the youth said. "I don't like it, but if you say you can trust them, then I'll go along with it." Terra smiled slightly.

"I know your heart is in the right place, Riku. I understand your anger and fear. But the best thing you can do for Sora is to be there for him. Maybe he'll change his mind at some point, and if he does, I'd be glad to train you two together."

"I'd like that," Riku agreed. "And I don't want to put any strain on Kairi either. She'd hate to be stuck in the middle of a fight between us." He frowned. "I just hope Sora thinks that way too."

"If your friendship is as strong as you say it is, then I'm sure he'll come around." Terra smiled and managed to get Riku to as well. "Now, it's getting pretty late. Do you want to head back now or just spend the night here?"

"I should probably stay here," the boy thought aloud. "Give Sora some time to cool off. And I don't really want to do something stupid like go yell at Ventus again." Despite the situation, he actually laughed. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me."

"Well, you have done some pretty stupid stuff around him, from the sound of it," Terra chuckled and ruffled Riku's hair. "But for now, go get some rest." He shoved his apprentice lightly toward the castle. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," Riku nodded, and he climbed up the steps to the castle and headed inside. Terra, meanwhile, let out a slow breath and looked up to the sky again. He blinked and watched curiously as a path from the Lanes Between opened a decent distance away and two armored shapes emerged from it. They headed away from the castle and disappeared into the mountains, and despite everything, Terra smiled slightly.

"Keep each other safe," he said softly, then turned toward the castle and made his way inside.

Early the next morning, Riku returned to Destiny Islands via a path Terra had opened for him, fidgeting as he walked across the sand of the mainland's beach. He figured the previous night was a problem he should bring up with Sora sooner rather than later before they had a chance to let it mentally drive them further apart. He headed into town and arrived shortly later at Sora's home, knocking on the door once he reached it. There was a brief delay before it opened, revealing a groggy Sora still in his pajamas.

"Riku?" he said, stifling a yawn. "What's up?" Riku wasn't certain if Sora was just too tired to be mad at him or if he really had gotten over their confrontation.

"Can we talk?" he asked. "About what happened?" Sora only gazed at him for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Let me get dressed. Oh, wait." He turned away from the door. "Mom! Riku's here! Do you need me for anything?"

"Not that you can't put off even more," his mother replied lightly from somewhere else in the house.

"I'll be right back." With that, Sora shut the door and left Riku standing awkwardly on the front step. That was enough tell him Sora wasn't entirely happy with him. The door opened again a moment later and Sora's mother peaked out.

"I'm sorry, Riku," she greeted. "Would you like to come in while you're waiting? It's not like him to just leave you out here."

"It's okay," Riku replied. "But thank you. It probably just slipped his mind."

"Alright," she nodded. "Oh, that was fast," she remarked as Sora appeared again, fully dressed and ready to go. "Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "Be back later, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too," she said as he stepped outside, and the boys started off toward the beach without much to say. Sora looked rather grumpy but was trying to be civil. Once they were away from the main part of town, Riku let out a sigh and slowed his pace.

"Look, I'm sorry about last night," he said, and Sora turned to him. "I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be," Sora replied. "I can take care of myself and Ven is my friend and master. You can trust him. Aqua too."

"But…" Riku started to protest, but cut himself off as he recalled what Terra had told him. "Alright, if you say so. But don't forget what Master Terra said, okay? If you change your mind, you can train with me under him. He said he'd be glad to take you on as an apprentice."

"That's nice of him," Sora said halfheartedly. "But you're really okay with this?" His eyes softened, and Riku bit his lip briefly.

"I won't lie and say I am," he admitted as they reached the beach. "But I don't want to fight with you."

"Neither do I. You're my best friend, Riku." Sora smiled. "Thanks for understanding. And don't worry! I'll be fine."

"I hope so," Riku muttered, then shook his head and perked up. "So. You're a Keyblade wielder too, huh?"

"Guess so!" Sora grinned. "Uh, that was actually the first time I summoned it though. So… thanks?" He laughed, and Riku snorted.

"We'll have to go a couple rounds later," he said. "Help each other practice and all that."

"Sounds fun," Sora agreed.

"Sora, Riku!" They both turned around at the call and found Kairi running toward them, and Sora waved at her.

"Guess we can talk about it later," he said, and Riku smiled and nodded slightly. They could get back into the secret world they were both now part of later. But for now, they could just be friends like always, racing around the beach with Kairi and spending the summer day together.


	23. Chapter XXI: Truce

Several days had passed since Sora and Riku had decided to put aside their conflicting views and simply train together as best they could, and the brown-haired boy was thrilled that his friend understood his stance. Now, he was out on the Paopu Tree's islet as usual while the moon rose overhead, practicing summoning and dismissing his Keyblade while he waited for his master to arrive. Ventus had said he might be a little late, depending on how quickly he could find a meal. It was something Sora didn't bother thinking too hard about. And despite the wound on his shoulder that hadn't quite finished healing yet, he just couldn't picture Ventus out hunting.

He dismissed his Keyblade again and the soft sound of footsteps in the sand reached his ears. He turned around, curious, and blinked when he found a blond-haired young woman in a black coat approaching him.

"Darn," she sighed. "I was hoping I was lighter on my feet than that!" Sora stared at her, bewildered. "Well, whatever," she went on. "Doesn't matter. You're the kid I'm looking for either way."

"Uh, you are?" he asked. As she drew closer to him, he found she had eyes colored a similar shade of red as Ventus's, and a chill briefly crept up the back of his neck.

"Word on the street is that you know some stuff a lot of other people don't," she said. "Like… maybe what I am?"

"You're a vampire, aren't you?" he guessed, and a devious grin formed on her face, revealing her fangs.

"Not as stupid as you look," she scoffed. "No, wait, I take that back."

"Excuse me?" Before he could even think about reacting, she sprinted across the sand and grabbed him, by the arms, throwing off his balance as his heart sped up in his chest.

"You weren't smart enough to run," she hissed into his ear, and he swallowed back his panic. "Nothing personal, kid. You're just easy prey." He cried out as she bit his neck, her fingers digging into his arms to the point of hurting him.

"V-Ven!" he called in a broken voice as his head started to fog, making him dizzy, and his body weakened. A flash of light caught his eye and, through his blurred vision, he saw an armored figure on a glider emerge from it.

"Wh- Sora!" Ventus snapped and kicked his glider toward the girl holding him captive. The impact knocked her back and she released her grip on the boy, and Ventus dismissed his armor and called his Keyblade back to him. He quickly rushed over to stand between her and his apprentice and hissed at her sharply, his eyes furious.

"That was rude," she complained as she got back to her feet and brushed herself off. "I don't interrupt your dinner!"

"Get away from him," Ventus snapped, his Keyblade at the ready. "If you ever come anywhere near him again, I'll rip your heart from your chest."

"Ugh, don't you have better uses for your Keyblade?" she asked, and before he could say anything, a Dark Corridor erupted around her feet and she vanished.

"What…" He shook his head, deciding he had bigger problems to worry about. "Sora!" He turned around and knelt down to prop the boy up in his arms, finding he was fighting to stay conscious. "Stay with me, Sora. I'm gonna get you some help."

"Ven…" he managed to say before falling unconscious, and Ventus bit his lip and looked up to the stars. He couldn't get Sora to the Land of Departure, not in his current state. He frowned and threw his Keyblade up, transforming it back to his glider, and hoisted Sora into his arms. He sped to the mainland and jumped back to the ground once he was past the beach, trying not to let his worry get the better of him as he listened to Sora's labored heartbeat. The boy was shaking in his arms, taking only quick and shallow breaths. Ventus looked up and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

He caught the scent he was looking for and set a brisk pace in its direction, careful not to jostle Sora too much but trying to move quickly. Soon enough, he came across a home where the scent he'd been following was strong and fresh, and he circled around it until he came to a window and knocked on it briefly.

"C'mon…" he groaned and adjusted Sora slightly to be able to tap the glass with more force. He heard a shuffle inside and the window's curtain pulled back to reveal a very sleepy Riku. Once he caught sight of Sora, concern overtook his face before he glanced up to Ventus with angry and accusatory eyes.

"Not my fault," he said quickly. "Someone else got to him. Are you gonna help me or not?" Riku frowned, but opened his window, and Ventus rather awkwardly climbed through it.

"What the hell happened?" Riku demanded as Ventus placed Sora on his bed carefully.

"I'll tell you once I'm sure he's stable," he replied sharply. "I'll be right back." With that, he left the room and took another deep breath, hoping, praying, he'd be able to find what he needed. A few doors down, he found an herb garden and picked out what he needed, then rushed back to Riku's house. "I need a clean cloth and some water," he said as he came back through the window, and Riku looked up from his place fretting at Sora's side and glared at him. "Seriously, do you want him to die?" Ventus demanded. "I trained under Master Eraqus just like Terra. I know what I'm doing!" After another brief moment, the silver-haired boy let out a soft sigh and left his room. He returned a few moments later with a tall glass of water and a washcloth.

Ventus took the glass and crushed the herbs he'd gathered, then dropped them into the water and swirled it slightly. He soaked the cloth in his concoction and tilted Sora's head gently to get a better look at his bite.

"What is that?" Riku inquired, watching with his arms crossed as Ventus pressed the cloth to Sora's neck.

"The best way I can describe it is that it's a mix of nutrients and some other stuff that will help replenish his blood. It'll also thin out what he didn't lose slightly so this stuff can get through his body faster." He paused. "It's not the exact thing we used to use, but it'll do for now." Neither said anything else for a short time.

"So, if you didn't do this, who did?" Riku asked bitterly, and Ventus glanced at him.

"Some blond girl in a black coat," he replied. "I've never seen her before. And she escaped through a Dark Corridor, so she can travel between worlds. That makes her a LOT more dangerous and harder to track down. She seemed like she knew something about the Keyblade too."

"Hmph," Riku huffed, and Ventus sighed.

"Look, you and I actually share a common interest right now," he pointed out sourly. "We both want to make sure Sora pulls through this. So can you maybe put a cap on the hostility for just a little while?" The boy stared at him, but shrugged slightly and rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said. "…Thanks for bringing him back."

"Of course," Ventus replied. "Now." He stood up, but didn't remove the cloth from Sora's neck. "I should tell Terra about this sooner rather than later. Think you can keep an eye on him?"

"What do I need to do?"

"Just keep this cloth pressed to his bite until it dries out. Make sure he's not bleeding and just let him rest." He paused and knelt down toward the unconscious boy. "His heart sounds better already. He's young, energetic, and healthy, so he should be fine as long as he takes it easy. I'll come back tomorrow night to check in on him." He started to step away, and Riku took his place keeping the cloth where it needed to be. With that, he nodded and made his way back outside, then summoned a path to the Land of Departure and left immediately.

He directed his glider to the summit where he found Aqua and landed a few paces away from her, and she looked up to him curiously.

"Home already?" she asked, and frowned at the urgent look on his face. "What happened?"

"Sora was attacked by another vampire," he replied, and her eyes widened in alarm. "I want to talk to Terra about it. Come with me?"

"Of course," she agreed. With that, they hurried down to the terrace in front of the castle, but hesitated when they reached the door.

"Been a while since we've been here," he mumbled, but shook his head and went inside. They headed up the stairs to the audience chamber and down one of the hallways until they reached Terra's bedroom.

"Terra!" Ventus called, pounding on the closed door. "You there? Wake up!" He heard shuffling inside.

"Buh… huh?" From the sound of it, Terra was basically still asleep. "Ven?"

"Terra!" Ventus called again, knocking once more.

"Ven!" He sounded shocked, but relieved. Perhaps he hadn't quite snapped himself back to reality.

"Damn it, Terra," Ventus huffed. "I'd come in, but I don't want you swinging a Keyblade at me while you're still half asleep. Open up!" He stepped back and Aqua placed her hand on his shoulder. There was a delay before Terra finally opened the door, looking downright annoyed.

"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded, bracing one arm against the door frame and leaning against it. "What do you want?" Ventus decided it was probably better to just jump straight to the point.

"Sora was attacked by another vampire," he said, and Terra stared at him. "A girl- she looked maybe twenty years old- with light blond hair with a couple of locks that almost looked like antennae. She was dressed in a black coat and escaped through a Dark Corridor."

"Wait, wait," Terra said shortly. "Black coat? A girl?" Ventus nodded, and Terra frowned. "Another one…"

"Another what?" Aqua wondered.

"I've been to a couple of worlds recently and tracked down those freaks in black. I'm not sure how many of them there are, but I hadn't run into any females yet. What happened to Sora?"

"I treated him as best I could," Ventus replied. "I left him with Riku. He should be okay as long as he rests." Terra nodded.

"Good… Once he's ready to travel, I think I'm just going to bring them both here. They should be safer that way and I can speed up Riku's training." He paused. "These guys in black… I've got to put an end to them."

"Then we will," Aqua said with a gentle smile. "Ven, why don't you let Terra take over Sora's training? Just for now. That way he can focus on the boys and you and I can track down these black coats." She looked up to Terra again. "What do you think?" Terra's brow furrowed, but he sighed and crossed his arms.

"I guess I can't refuse the help," he admitted. "These guys sound a lot more dangerous than you two."

"Not that we exactly are dangerous," Ventus grumbled, and Aqua nudged him briefly.

"Alright," Terra nodded. "I'm not so stupid to turn you away if it means I can keep Riku- and Sora too, I guess- out of harm's way as long as I can. First, I just want to figure out how many of them there are and what they're doing. Think you can handle that?"

"Of course," Aqua nodded as well. "You can trust us, Terra. You should know that." He didn't reply, but looked down and shook his head slightly.

"Just go," he said flatly, and Ventus and Aqua exchanged a brief, dull glance before they departed as quickly as they had come. Terra let out a heavy sigh and retreated into his room, shutting the door behind him, and he covered his face with his hands. Once he let them fall to his sides, he trudged to a set of drawers next to his bed and opened the top one, rummaging around within until he pulled out the Wayfinder Aqua had given him so long ago.

_"You have a strong bond of friendship and trust. Never lose it."_

"Master…" he mumbled. "What am I supposed to do? What would you want?" The Wayfinder in his hands yielded no answers, and he lowered his head and placed it back into the drawer.


	24. Chapter XXII: New Enemies

**Author's Note: **I'll be the first to admit this is a pretty short chapter, but it just felt better to me that way. Maybe it'll help balance out some of the longer ones I've written recently. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

><p>After their somewhat productive meeting with Terra, Ventus and Aqua made their way through the Lanes Between and picked a World at random that they hadn't been to relatively recently. They landed in the desert city called Agrabah and started toward the marketplace from the outer gates.<p>

"Why don't we come here more often?" Ventus wondered casually as they navigated the city. "All these pathways leave very little room for escape."

"But it's easy to get lost too," Aqua pointed out.

"True," he shrugged. "Anyway, keep an eye out for anybody in a long black coat."

"Like that?" She pointed to a tall figure at the other end of the street they were on. He was a rather lanky young man from the looks of it with bright red hair slicked back in spikes, and he appeared to be chasing someone else down. Indeed, he wore the same black coat as the girl who had attacked Sora.

"Exactly like that," he replied. "Let's go find out what he knows." They summoned their Keyblades and took off after him, turning a corner that led under a bunch of scaffolding to what appeared to be a dead end.

"Agh," the man in black groaned. "Must've taken a wrong turn somewhere." He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Oh well. I'll find someone- Oh." At that point, he'd decided to turn around and found Ventus and Aqua cornering him. His red eyes and pale skin confirmed Ventus's suspicions- they were indeed now dealing with a group of vampires who could travel between Worlds, from the look of it. "You guys out hunting too?"

"More or less," Ventus replied, gripping his Keyblade. "Who are you?"

"Name's Lea," the man in black replied. "Wait- Guess they want me to use the name 'Axel.' But I don't really care. Either is fine."

"Who wants you to?" Aqua inquired, keeping her voice firm but not threatening. Axel looked down in thought.

"Well, they did say they wanted us all to be on the lookout for new recruits, and you two fit the bill. I'm part of an Organization of people like us. We keep each other safe, have our own place, and are trying to find a way to… Boss says make the Worlds safer for our kind." He threw his hands up helplessly. "You interested? Tired of living in the shadows? I'm sure the boss would love a couple more recruits, especially with those Keys of yours." Ventus and Aqua both set their stances, and he stepped back. "Whoa, whoa! What's your problem?"

"What do you know about these?" Ventus demanded, and Axel sighed.

"They're used to capture hearts," he replied. "From people and…" He snapped his fingers, and several small, monstrous creatures appeared from Darkness. "These guys." The creatures immediately lunged for the Keyblade wielders, but they made quick work of their assailants. They both watched with some mix of curiosity and horror as the creatures released hearts that in turn faded into darkness.

"They're called the Heartless," Axel said once they had been wiped out, and Ventus and Aqua turned back to him. "That name again is the Heartless. Got it memorized?" He tapped his temple with one finger. "So yeah. Keep using those Keyblades of yours to finish them off. And if you want to join up with the Organization, just say so." Ventus started to refuse, but Aqua cut him off.

"How many are a part of it?" she asked, straightening up and allowing her Keyblade to come to rest at her side.

"Uh…" Axel counted up on his fingers for a moment. "I think we're up to twelve. All blood-suckers like us, though some are nicer than others." He scanned over them to find hesitation in their eyes, and he clucked his tongue. "And now that I've told you all that…" He thrust his hand out and flames burst forth around it, and from within them appeared an odd weapon that he held out toward them. "If you don't join, I'm gonna have to make sure you can't talk. The boss likes his privacy." Ventus grit his teeth and pointed his Keyblade at Axel.

"Or how about this: We just leave each other alone. We walk away and you get to keep your heart. Not gonna do well without it, huh?" Axel blinked, but a grin formed on his face, and he started laughing as his weapon disappeared.

"Fair enough," he shrugged. "I kind of need my heart. Don't have anything else to fall back on now that I'm like this." He paused and eyed them curiously. "You know how some stories say that when people die, they gain wings so they can fly to heaven?" Both Ventus and Aqua stared at him, confused. "People like us, the way our souls are sealed or just lost or whatever, it's like our wings have burned up. We've got nothing but ashes to show for it. So we can't get to heaven." He raised his hands and took a step back. "So you win. I don't feel like kicking the bucket quite yet- that's why I'm a part of the Organization in the first place. Maybe I'll see you around." With that, a Dark Corridor opened behind him, and he disappeared through it before they could stop him.

"What was that about?" Ventus wondered, straightening up. "What a weird guy."

"He had a point though," Aqua said, placing her hand over her chest. "I've heard stories like that too… We've lost our wings, Ven. That's just how it is." He turned to her, his eyes softening, and he took her free hand in both of his.

"Maybe that's true, maybe not. Either way, let's make the most of our time together." He smiled gently and brought her hand to his lips, placing a tender kiss to her knuckle. "You're my heaven. As long as I'm with you, I don't need anything more." She smiled and took him into her arms, and he wrapped his around her waist and held her tightly.

"We have eternity ahead of us," she agreed. "You're all I need, Ven. Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said and pulled back, and she kissed him softly.

"We should get back and tell Terra what we found out," she said once she'd pulled back, and he nodded. "Before it gets too late. I'd rather be back home before the sun rises."

"You and me both," he agreed. "I reeeeeeeally don't want to get caught out in the sun again so soon." As always, they summoned their armor again and headed back to the Lanes Between, bound for the Land of Departure.


End file.
